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Developments in the field of quantum sensors are happening rapidly. The State Inspection Digital Infrastructure (RDI) therefore wants to gain insight into these developments in order to prepare for their potential impacts on its field of work. Dialogic has been asked by RDI to (collaborating with TNO) map out the current state of the art in technology, scientific breakthroughs, and application possibilities concerning quantum sensors that may affect the use of frequency space. The research focused on the domains of radio communication and navigation.
The research revealed that the technology behind many quantum sensors is unlikely to be functional outside of laboratories in the next five to ten years. In addition, for quantum sensors to impact frequency space, they will also need to be incorporated into usage applications that utilise the spectrum. When considering applications based on quantum sensors, a trade-off exists between, on the one hand, the need and performance improvement of the new application, and on the other hand, the practical characteristics (size, weight, required power) and costs of the new application. Due to the high costs associated with (the development of) quantum sensors, the surrounding equipment like cooling and lasers required by many quantum sensors, and the (currently) limited performance improvements of quantum sensors, we do not expect the field of RDI to be influenced in the next five to ten years.
However, developments in quantum technology are progressing rapidly, and it is important for RDI to monitor these advancements, for example in the field of medical imaging. Particularly in the defence sector and in the domain of magnetic-aiding navigation, there are ongoing developments that are likely to become relevant for RDI and the use of frequency space in the long term.
