Articles tagged with "quantum-sensing"
China claims it's working on 10 quantum weapons for cyber warfare
China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is actively developing and testing over 10 experimental quantum cyberwarfare tools aimed at extracting high-value intelligence from public cyberspace and enhancing battlefield decision-making. Led by a supercomputing lab at the National University of Defense Technology, this initiative integrates quantum computing with cloud computing and artificial intelligence to process vast amounts of military data rapidly. PLA commanders believe these quantum capabilities will enable near real-time battlefield awareness, allowing faster decisions and more efficient resource allocation during conflicts where digital dominance and rapid adaptation are critical. Beyond cyber intelligence, the PLA is focusing on quantum sensing and positioning technologies to detect stealth threats and provide secure navigation resistant to GPS jamming or spoofing. Quantum sensing could improve air defense by identifying low-observable aircraft, while quantum positioning systems would ensure reliable navigation even when satellite signals are disrupted. Researchers are collaborating closely with front-line troops to tailor these technologies to operational needs, aiming to create unified situational awareness maps and enhance command and control capabilities. However, PLA
quantum-computingcyber-warfaremilitary-technologyquantum-sensingquantum-positioningartificial-intelligencedata-processingLaser-powered quantum radio works without electricity or antennas
Physicists at the University of Warsaw have developed the world’s first all-optical quantum radio receiver powered solely by laser light, eliminating the need for traditional metal antennas and electrical circuits. This innovative device uses rubidium atoms excited to Rydberg states by ultra-stable lasers to detect and decode radio waves. When radio signals pass through the rubidium vapor, they subtly alter the atomic electron orbits, causing the emission of faint infrared light that carries the encoded information. The system employs optical cavities to maintain precise synchronization between the lasers and atoms, enabling accurate detection of signal amplitude and phase. This approach allows the receiver to self-calibrate, sense weak fields with high precision, and operate invisibly without interfering with the radio environment. Unlike conventional receivers, the laser-powered quantum radio is non-invasive and free of metal components, making it potentially miniaturizable to fit on optical fibers for remote and discreet sensing. This breakthrough could revolutionize microwave field calibration and enable new applications such as stealth sensors and satellite-based
quantum-radiolaser-technologyquantum-sensingRydberg-atomswireless-communicationoptical-detectionquantum-technologyNew quantum phonon interference sets stage for next-gen sensors
Researchers at Rice University have demonstrated a groundbreaking advancement in phonon interference, achieving interference effects two orders of magnitude stronger than previously observed. By intercalating a few layers of silver atoms between graphene and a silicon carbide substrate—a process called confinement heteroepitaxy—they created a unique two-dimensional metal interface that enhances vibrational mode interactions in silicon carbide. This strong phonon interference, characterized by Fano resonance patterns detected via Raman spectroscopy, reveals highly sensitive vibrational signals that can distinguish even single dye molecules on the surface, enabling label-free single-molecule detection with a simple, scalable setup. This discovery marks a significant step in harnessing phonons—quantum units of vibration that carry heat and sound—as effective carriers of quantum information, comparable to electrons and photons. Unlike bulk metals, the atomically thin 2D metal layer produces unique quantum interference pathways purely from phonon interactions, without electronic contributions. The findings open new avenues for phonon-based quantum sensing, molecular detection, energy harvesting, and
quantum-sensingphonon-interference2D-materialsgraphenesilicon-carbidemolecular-detectionenergy-technologyQuantum state unlocked in object at room temperature in world-first
Researchers from TU Wien and ETH Zurich have achieved a world-first by unlocking quantum states in glass nanoparticles at room temperature, bypassing the need for ultra-low temperatures typically required in quantum experiments. Their work focused on slightly elliptical nanoparticles smaller than a grain of sand, which were held in electromagnetic fields causing them to rotate around an equilibrium orientation. By using a system of lasers and mirrors capable of both supplying and extracting energy, the team was able to reduce the rotational energy of these particles, effectively bringing their motion close to the quantum ground state despite the particles being several hundred degrees hot. This breakthrough challenges the conventional understanding that quantum states can only be observed in systems cooled near absolute zero to isolate them from environmental disturbances. The researchers emphasized the importance of treating different degrees of freedom separately, which allowed them to manipulate the rotational movement independently and achieve quantum behavior at ambient temperatures. This advancement opens new avenues for studying quantum properties in larger objects and at practical temperatures, potentially accelerating developments in quantum sensing, computation, simulation, and crypt
materialsquantum-physicsnanoparticlesenergy-statesquantum-computingquantum-sensingroom-temperature-quantum-statesTiny quantum sensor breaks noise limits, could boost MRI, space tech
Researchers at the Niels Bohr Institute (NBI) at the University of Copenhagen have developed a novel tunable quantum sensing system that significantly improves measurement accuracy by overcoming noise limits inherent in conventional optical sensors. This tabletop device leverages large-scale entanglement by pairing a multi-photon light state with a large atomic spin ensemble, enabling frequency-dependent squeezing of light. This approach reduces quantum noise across a broad frequency range by dynamically adjusting the phase and amplitude of light, which traditional systems cannot achieve without large-scale infrastructure. The innovation addresses both back-action noise—disturbances caused by the measurement process—and detection noise, enhancing sensor sensitivity beyond the standard quantum limit. Unlike previous frequency-dependent squeezing applications that require extensive optical resonators (around 300 meters long), the NBI team’s compact system achieves similar performance on a tabletop scale. Potential applications include improved detection of time variations, acceleration, and magnetic fields, with significant implications for biomedical imaging such as enhancing MRI resolution for earlier neurological disorder diagnosis, as well
quantum-sensingoptical-sensorsquantum-noise-reductiontunable-quantum-systembiomedical-technologyspace-technologyquantum-physicsWorld-1st stable deployment of atomic clock on HMS Puncher completed
Aquark Technologies, a UK quantum sensing specialist, has completed the world’s first stable deployment of a cold-atom-based atomic clock, called AQlock, on a moving maritime platform—the Royal Navy’s Archer-class patrol vessel HMS Puncher. The AQlock operated continuously over three days in the Solent area, marking a significant milestone for Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) technology. This trial, supported by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and funded in part by Innovate UK’s Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI), demonstrated the clock’s stability and robustness in harsh offshore conditions, aiming to reduce global reliance on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). The AQlock improves conventional PNT by leveraging atoms cooled to near absolute zero to stabilize a conventional oscillator, thereby reducing long-term drift and maintaining high precision without frequent GNSS corrections. Aquark’s unique supermolasses trap technology underpins the system, making it highly robust, portable, more affordable, and suitable
energyatomic-clockquantum-sensingmaritime-technologynavigation-systemsGNSS-alternativesprecision-timingNew approach allows to insert, monitor quantum defects in real time
Researchers from the UK’s universities of Oxford, Cambridge, and Manchester have developed a novel two-step fabrication method that enables the precise insertion and real-time monitoring of quantum defects—specifically Group IV centers such as tin-vacancy centers—in synthetic diamonds. These quantum defects, created by implanting single tin atoms into diamond with nanometer accuracy using a focused ion beam, serve as spin-photon interfaces essential for storing and transmitting quantum information. The process is activated and controlled via ultrafast laser annealing, which excites the defect centers without damaging the diamond and provides spectral feedback for in-situ monitoring and control during fabrication. This breakthrough addresses a major challenge in reliably producing Group IV quantum defects, which are prized for their high symmetry and favorable optical and spin properties. The ability to monitor defect activation in real time allows researchers to efficiently and precisely create quantum emitters, paving the way for scalable quantum networks that could enable ultrafast, secure quantum computing and sensing technologies. The method’s versatility also suggests
quantum-defectsdiamond-materialsnanoscale-engineeringquantum-computingquantum-sensingmaterials-sciencequantum-technology