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Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe & European Quantum Electronics Conference (CLEO/Europe-EQEC)

A Quantum-Classical Cold Atom System for Inertial Navigation

Maxwell Rowley, Alex Webber-Date, Paul F. Osborn, Robert Shah, Teodor Krastev, Rachel Cannon, Paul F. Griffin, Erling Riis, Joseph P. Cotter, Oliver S. Burrow, Edward Boughton

Published Jun 23, 2025• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Global positioning and navigation using satellites has been a crucial part of modern infrastructure since the development of GPS in the 1970s, providing a positioning uncertainty less than 5 meters. However, such signals cannot be accessed underground or underwater and may be jammed or spoofed with relative ease. There remains, therefore, an important and practical need for precision navigation that does not rely on communication with an external source.

DOI
10.1109/cleo/europe-eqec65582.2025.11109285

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Global positioning and navigation using satellites has been a crucial part of modern infrastructure since the development of GPS in the 1970s, providing a positioning uncertainty less than 5 meters. However, such signals cannot be accessed underground or underwater and may be jammed or spoofed with relative ease. There remains, therefore, an important and practical need for precision navigation that does not rely on communication with an external source.
Position, navigation, and time (PNT) distributed by the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) have become one of the most relied upon commodities of our civilization. GNSS relies on clocks on satellite, the timing signal of which is send to Earth. On ground both, the resulting position and the timing signal are used in various different cases on ground. We are reliant on the quality of the timing signal. Quantum technologies offer novel methods of probing atoms or molecules to generate timing signals of higher quality. Additionally, optical cavities or resonators can provide precise timing signals. The main challenge involved with optical resonators is the long term stability in compatibility with the SWaP requirements of space. There are several works to prolong the stability of these systems and improve the quality of the received signal. Regardless of the quality of the GNSS signal, it is subject to manipulation, such as jamming and spoofing. Additionally, areas of absence of GNSS exist, which need to be breached. In these cases (classical) inertial measurement units can be deployed. However, the inherent drift of these systems allow GNSS-free navigation for short periods.
The growing reliance on Global Positioning System (GPS) technologies across critical sectors such as defense, aerospace, and autonomous systems highlights the need for navigation solutions that are robust against signal loss, spoofing, and jamming. Quantum-based navigation systems offer a promising alternative, leveraging the fundamental principles of quantum mechanics to achieve unprecedented precision and resilience. This paper provides an overview of the core quantum technologies enabling this next generation of navigation, including atomic interferometry, quantum accelerometers, gyroscopes, and ultra-precise quantum clocks. Cold atom techniques and laser cooling play pivotal roles in enhancing measurement stability and accuracy. The integration of these technologies into inertial navigation systems (INS) significantly reduces drift and extends operational reliability in GPS-denied environments. Quantum navigation technologies are finding applications across a wide range of domains, including military defense, underwater missions, space travel, and autonomous transportation. Despite existing obstacles such as high development costs, environmental sensitivity, and the need for further miniaturization, progress in quantum sensor development and engineering continues at a steady pace. This article presents an overview of the fundamental concepts, present capabilities, and prospective advancements in quantum navigation. It also highlights the technology's promise as a viable alternative or even a possible replacement for conventional GPS systems.
Global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) are critical to our daily lives and underpin numerous sectors in-cluding transport, finance, and defence. The estimated financial impact of GNSS failure for the UK is over £1 bn per day [1]. In areas where GNSS cannot be used, inertial navigation provides an alternative to accurately position vehicles. For many applications, the drift in the classical accelerometers and gyroscopes that underpin inertial navigation systems limits the position accuracy that can be achieved.
Quantum sensors based on atom interferometers can provide measurements of inertial quantities with unprecedented accuracy and precision. It has been suggested that this sea change in sensing could provide an inertial navigation capability that is comparable with current satellite based navigation systems. However, the accuracy of sensor measurements is not the only factor that limits the accuracy of inertial navigation systems. In this paper, we explore the fundamental limits to inertial navigation, and explain how quantum inertial sensors could be used to alleviate some of the problems encountered in current classical inertial navigation systems, but not to solve the fundamental instability inherent in inertial navigation methods.
Abstract The inherent vulnerability of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) to interference, spoofing, and signal degradation highlights the urgent need for robust augmentation and alternative solutions to support resilient Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) services. Among emerging technologies, quantum sensing stands out for its ability to harness fundamental quantum phenomena, such as superposition and entanglement, enabling absolute, drift-free and ultra-sensitive measurements of inertial forces, gravity, and magnetic fields with long-term stability and reduced dependency on external signals. This capability offers a promising pathway to enhance positioning and navigation performance in GNSS-denied or GNSS-contested environments. Here, we present a comprehensive review of quantum sensing technologies in the context of positioning and navigation, including cold atom interferometry, atomic vapour cell, superconducting quantum interference devices, and room temperature solid-state systems like nitrogen-vacancy centres in diamond, and their potential to support positioning and navigation across a range of operational contexts. Both standalone and hybrid quantum-classical architectures are examined, with case studies illustrating their ability to reduce navigation drift and achieve sub-metre accuracy through quantum-enhanced inertial navigation, gravity-aided positioning, and magnetic field-matching approach. Despite their promise, challenges including decoherence, environmental robustness, miniaturisation, and integration complexity remain significant barriers to practical deployment. Rather than replacing existing classical systems, quantum sensors are best served as complementary solutions within multi-layered PNT frameworks. This review also identifies priorities for advancing field-deployable quantum positioning and navigation solutions, including sensor robustness, miniaturisation, seamless integration, and the development of protocols to quantify quantum performance. Aligned with international quantum initiatives, this work contributes to the vision of secure, interference-resistant navigation infrastructure for scientific, industrial, and defence applications.