New milestones for development of Cold Quanta’s Quantum Positioning System (QPS)

Interviews are conducted by The Oxford Trust to give insight into the science and tech businesses they support in their innovation centres: the Oxford Centre for Innovation and the Wood Centre for Innovation.

Based in our Oxford Centre for Innovation, Cold Quanta announces new milestones for its High-BIAS² – or High Bandwidth Intertial Atom Source – project that moves the industry closer to safer skies with more precise inflight navigation systems.

The project has advanced its development of a cold atom-based Quantum Positioning System (QPS), which enables vehicle navigation without a GPS (Global Positioning System) or GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) signal.

Reducing the reliance on GPS and GNSS technologies is critical for scenarios where signals from these systems are not available, such as underwater or in space, or when they suffer disruptions due to technical issues, cyberattacks, and atmospheric or reflection effects. High-BIAS² demonstrates the rapid commercialization of quantum technologies for real world applications.

Over the last few months, High-BIAS² has demonstrated significant momentum as it heads towards an inflight demonstration. High-BIAS² is backed by a complete set of UK quantum end users and supply chain partners. Technology, application and commercialization development partners include:

• ColdQuanta – gyroscope based on ColdQuanta’s Cold Atom Quantum Technology
• Fraunhofer UK – low size, weight and power (SWaP) optical source modules
• Alter Technology – compact laser modules
• Caledonian Photonics – high power compact lasers
• RedWave Labs – drivers, controllers and sequencing
• BAE Systems – inflight platform demonstration
• PA Consulting – technology roadmapping and supply chain analysis

ColdQuanta’s Cold Atom Quantum Technology serves as the foundation for the project’s gyroscope and Quantum Positioning System. The company’s quantum sensor uses tightly confined ultra-cold atoms, which are cooled to a billionth of a degree above absolute zero and organized in a novel configuration. This approach to harnessing cold atom quantum technology is crucial to success in aerospace applications where motion sensing in highly dynamic environments is the norm.

“High-BIAS² is a huge step forward in developing practical use cases for quantum sensors and will showcase the real power of quantum in action,” said Dan Caruso, CEO and Executive Chairman of ColdQuanta. “Inertial navigation systems enhanced by ColdQuanta’s Cold Atom Quantum Technology hold the promise of navigation in the absence of GPS and GNSS. This technological breakthrough benefits a wide range of billion dollar industries including aerospace, autonomous vehicles, marine transportation, oil and gas excavation and more.”

The project will culminate with inflight trials via BAE Systems’ test aircraft to validate the gyroscope’s use for aerospace applications. The airborne technology demonstrator will consist of a quantum gyroscope sensor and control system, reference gyroscope and commercial navigator system.

Great news, ColdQuanta!

For more information about ColdQuanta see here  and for an interview with Tim Balance, Lead Sciencist at ColdQuanta UK (photographed above), see here.

Follow the links to find out more about the Oxford Centre for Innovation and its sister site the Wood Centre for Innovation.