Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories in the United States have built a new quantum sensor that operates on only five milliwatts of power, about two thousand times less than a typical LED lamp, and uses optical fibers just four hundred and twenty nanometers thick, about two hundred times thinner than a human hair.
It is said this achievement paves the way for the field deployment of quantum sensors in the near future.
Today's world is heavily dependent on satellite signals for navigation; from ride-hailing taxis to passenger airplanes, cargo ships and even military drones, all rely on these signals to determine position and reach their destination. This high dependence makes systems vulnerable to satellite signal disruption or spoofing.
Accordingly, scientists are developing quantum navigation systems that are not only jam-resistant but also highly accurate. One approach in this field is guided atom interferometry, in which atoms are guided inside very thin optical fibers so they remain continuously monitored by lasers.
According to Interesting Engineering, Jungmin Lee, a quantum sensor scientist at Sandia, says his ultimate goal is to place this device on a photonic integrated circuit so measurements continue even under vibration or jostling; a feature that could help vehicle navigation over rough terrain or aircraft in turbulence.
Lee says the main challenges so far have been dissipating heat from photonic components in vacuum and efficiently loading atoms. Sandia's research group solved this problem using tiny silicon pins that hold the waveguide from both sides and also serve to dissipate heat.