Quantum Sensors
and Timing

We all encounter different sorts of sensors in our everyday lives. From the phones we use, the lights we switch on and the places we visit, sensors surround us, and yet we do not realise the extent of our dependence on them. And yet, with quantum sensors and timing devices now being developed and used in real-world applications, they are quietly changing the way we live.

Quantum sensors have been developed to measure a number of significant things, with a large range of physical parameters. For instance, quantum-enabled brain technology can measure the electrical activity in a person's brain, making it possible to better understand brain conditions such as epilepsy and dementia.

Precise timing could make a significant difference both in everyday life and in fundamental science, offering increased resilience for timing infrastructures and much more. The unparalleled accuracy of these clocks can also help us see beyond standard models of physics and understand some of the most mysterious aspects of the universe, including dark matter and dark energy. Such clocks will also help to address fundamental physics questions such as whether the fundamental constants are really ‘constants’ or they are varying with time.

Quantum clocks exist in only in a handful of laboratories, and they require huge rooms and kilowatts of power. These clocks are the most precise scientific instruments created by humanity to date.

Researchers are now working hard to bring quantum sensor research out of the laboratories and into the real world, with the help of industry companies. Quantum sensor technology is urgently needed to strengthen the services which form our critical infrastructure – construction, transport, communications, and other key areas.

Soon, we will hopefully have access to quantum-enabled brain imaging technology, which will not only help to further our understanding of what is often considered to be the most complex part of the human body, but will also improve potential for diagnosis and treatment.

Unknown underground conditions present significant safety risks and economic damage in infrastructure projects. Understanding the underground hazards, such as potential sinkholes and boreholes, as well as existing pipework, would necessitate fewer and more accurate holes being dug for road works and construction projects. This is where quantum gravity sensors come in - this technology will be able to identify worsening hazards before they cause extreme damage and loss of life. The potential is far-reaching - quantum gravity sensor deployment in space will provide precise and accurate measurements of droughts, floods and ocean current levels.

Our current clocks run at an uncertainty level of 10^–16, deviating by one second every 300 million years. But imagine a clock so precise that it will gain or lose only one second every 30 billion years, a period greater than the age of the universe? This new technology unprecedented accuracy is now not too far away.

Clocks are important tools, not only in our everyday life, but also for technological applications and systems, making it is even more important to ensure time is measured very accurately. Building highly accurate clocks, which are small enough to be easily transportable, would open up myriads of new technological and scientific opportunities.

And it doesn't end with quantum sensors and timing. Quantum magnetometers are able to pick up even the tiniest of magnetic fields which makes them ultra-sensitive and useful as sensors. Once developed, magnetometers can be used for medical imaging, and even to measure current flow inside electric vehicle batteries to estimate their charge, health and detect faults early.