Networked Quantum Sensors

Quantum metrology is a growing area of quantum technology that uses quantum effects such as entanglement to enable an increase in precision when estimating a parameter of a system, such as a particular characteristic of a particle, compared to making a classical measurement of the same thing. This could have wide ranging applications in fields such as microscopy, optical, electromagnetic, or gravitational field imaging.

Classical networks abound in the present age, and a sustainable future for quantum sensors will lie in our ability to embed them in classical sensor networks. NQIT is amalgamating expertise in classical network theory and multi-parameter quantum sensing from Warwick, Sussex and Oxford to establish formalisms to make this possible.

Recent work has quantified the level of centralization or decentralization associated with quantum sensor networks, and will inform engineers on how to structure them to improve information flow across the network. It will now be combined with our earlier work that designed quantum sensors with capabilities impossible classically, such as estimating multiple parameters simultaneously or covertly.

Thus, we are working towards improving classical networks with new features previously considered impossible, with limited impact on existing networks and infrastructure costs.