Quantum sensing technology is already providing value and potential use cases can shape multiple industries. There are four core technologies with promising applications - solid state spins, neutral atoms, superconducting circuits, and trapped ions - which have sensing capabilities across a broad range of physical properties, including magnetic fields, electric fields, rotation, temperature, gravity, time, and pressure. Which quantum sensing technology and implementation type to use depends on the use case, as they measure different properties and are best suited to specific environments. This paper discusses the potential and current applications of the abovementioned quantum sensing technologies through varied use-case studies. They are presented around four specific industries and along different time horizons, emphasizing the need for further development and enhancement that can be achieved over the conventional counterparts. The full power of quantum sensors is not yet known, but they have the potential to create an entire new ecosystem if researchers, start-ups, and industry leaders work together to explore their applications and get them out of the lab. Here, the paper outlines necessary actions and possible avenues for the stakeholders to realize this potential across academia and industry.
Quantum sensing technology is already providing value and potential use cases can shape multiple industries. There are four core technologies with promising applications - solid state spins, neutral atoms, superconducting circuits, and trapped ions - which have sensing capabilities across a broad range of physical properties, including magnetic fields, electric fields, rotation, temperature, gravity, time, and pressure. Which quantum sensing technology and implementation type to use depends on the use case, as they measure different properties and are best suited to specific environments. This paper discusses the potential and current applications of the abovementioned quantum sensing technologies through varied use-case studies. They are presented around four specific industries and along different time horizons, emphasizing the need for further development and enhancement that can be achieved over the conventional counterparts. The full power of quantum sensors is not yet known, but they have the potential to create an entire new ecosystem if researchers, start-ups, and industry leaders work together to explore their applications and get them out of the lab. Here, the paper outlines necessary actions and possible avenues for the stakeholders to realize this potential across academia and industry.
The current rise of quantum technology is compelled by quantum sensing research. Thousands of research labs are developing and testing a broad range of sensor prototypes. However, there is a lack of knowledge about specific applications and real-world use cases where the benefits of these sensors will be most pronounced. This study presents a comprehensive review of quantum sensing state-of-practice. It also provides a detailed analysis of how quantum sensing overcomes the existing limitations of sensor-driven systems’ precision and performance. Based on the review of over 500 quantum sensor prototype reports, we determined four groups of quantum sensors and discussed their readiness for commercial usage. We concluded that quantum magnetometry and quantum optics are the most advanced sensing technologies with empirically proven results. In turn, quantum timing and kinetics are still in the early stages of practical validation. In addition, we defined four systems domains in which quantum sensors offer a solution for existing limitations of conventional sensing technologies. These domains are 1) GPS-free positioning and navigating services, 2) time-based operations, 3) topological visibility, and 4) environment detection, prediction, and modeling. Finally, we discussed the current constraints of quantum sensing technologies and offered directions for future research.
Quantum sensing leverages the properties of quantum systems-such as energy quantization, superposition, and entanglement -to achieve sensitive measurements.[1] Quantum sensors can be based on various platforms, such as photons, cold atoms, solid-state spin qubits, and superconducting circuits, for different applications.Over the last decade, quantum sensing has not only opened new avenues for precision measurement in various scientific domains [2,3] but also made remarkable breakthroughs in biomedical, navigation, energy, and other applications.[4-6] To enhance the benefits of quantum sensing, it is crucial to address challenges related to materials [7] and system engineering [8] to improve sensitivity, reliability, and real-time monitoring.Current research efforts span a diverse range of scientific and technological advancements to address these issues and enable new applications.The Special Issue "Quantum Sensing," edited by Tongcang Li, Renbao Liu, and Chong Zu, features 2 review articles and 13 original articles, reporting the latest advancements in the field.This
Sensing and metrology play an important role in fundamental science and applications, by fulfilling the ever-present need for more precise data sets, and by allowing to make more reliable conclusions on the validity of theoretical models. Sensors are ubiquitous, they are used in applications across a diverse range of fields including gravity imaging, geology, navigation, security, timekeeping, spectroscopy, chemistry, magnetometry, healthcare, and medicine. Current progress in quantum technologies inevitably triggers the exploration of quantum systems to be used as sensors with new and improved capabilities. This perspective initially provides a brief review of existing and tested quantum sensing systems, before discussing future possible directions of superconducting quantum circuits use for sensing and metrology: superconducting sensors including many entangled qubits and schemes employing Quantum Error Correction. The perspective also lists future research directions that could be of great value beyond quantum sensing, e.g. for applications in quantum computation and simulation.
Current technology trends indicate that quantum computers are on the threshold of broad adoption and usability across many industries. At present a number of quantum computers have been realized in hardware, typically with only a few qubits and with performance limitations including short coherence times, difficult coupling to input/output processing, and strong susceptibility to noise in the ambient environment. However, the separate but closely related field of quantum sensing shows much more near-term promise in respect of its applicability to broad classes of systems and missions, including many types of aerospace systems, sensors, and the processing and evaluation of their data. This paper reviews the basic methodology and types of quantum sensing, some history of related measurements and proof-of-concept experiments, and assesses the potential applicability of quantum sensing techniques to future aerospace sensors and systems. Performance metrics using published models and demonstration experiments show distinct performance advantages in several cases and are used to compare near-term quantum sensing to more conventional systems. In addition, the application of quantum communication to networked systems is discussed, along with the potential for novel data fusion techniques using quantum-inspired protocols and methods.
Abstract. Quantum sensing technologies provide future cities with unimaginable techniques for solving their complex problems. Quantum sensors, through the utilization of quantum effects such as superposition, entanglement, and tunneling, can provide an unmatched level of sensitivity, precision, and durability against traditional sensing technologies. This study explores the potential applications of quantum sensing in four critical urban infrastructure domains: water, energy, transport, and construction. Throughout this study, we determine the most promising quantum sensing technologies for each domain. Besides, we discuss the technical progress of these sensors and the advantages they have in comparison with classical devices, as well as the organizational issues cities can face when implementing these sensors. Our results indicate that quantum sensing will be a critical enabler of future smart cities, generating advanced monitoring, control, and decision-making capabilities across various sectors. Nevertheless, taking advantage of this potential will demand the close partnership of cities, industry, academia, and policymakers to guide the complicated adoption process.
Quantum electronic sensing (QES), on the cusp of a revolution, is opening up new, possibly cutting-edge possibilities to take advantage of complex quantum mechanical variables to make incredibly sensitive assessments of an array of parameters. Concurrently, there are now prospects for quantum sensing to be used to enhance the processes involved in creating, distributing, and utilizing energy. To use the technology carefully and efficiently, it is necessary to handle issues with material stability and operation, reliable monitoring, and precision in sensing and assessment. Here is an overview of existing and new quantum sensing materials and methods, along with the related sensing frameworks that have been created to support their use. Regarding advanced sensing technologies specifically, the realization of a previously unheard-of degree of sensitivity is made possible using quantum methods and materials. The review's discussion of high-value implementations of quantum sensing in the bio-electronics industry and the still-existing impediments to sensor deployment wrap up the review. More specifically, we address how quantum sensing materials may lead to greater efficiency while highlighting established and developing quantum sensing methods, materials, and sensing platforms. The discussion of potential chances to implement quantum technologies follows a summary of the remaining obstacles and difficulties for quantum sensor deployment.