Quantum sensor

Within quantum technology, a quantum sensor utilizes quantum mechanical phenomena, such as quantum superposition, quantum entanglement, and quantum squeezing, to measure physical quantities. If a quantum system is measurable, and it interacts with its environment in a known way, then measurements of that system can provide information about its environment. Theoretically such sensor technology would have precision limited only by the uncertainty principle. The field of quantum sensing deals with the design and engineering of quantum mechanical systems and measurements with potential for better performance than any classical strategy in a number of technological applications. Of the wide range of quantum mechanical systems that can be used as a quantum sensor, most can be classified as photonic systems or solid state systems.

Within quantum technology, a quantum sensor utilizes quantum mechanical phenomena, such as quantum superposition, quantum entanglement, and quantum squeezing, to measure physical quantities. If a quantum system is measurable, and it interacts with its environment in a known way, then measurements of that system can provide information about its environment. Theoretically such sensor technology would have precision limited only by the uncertainty principle. The field of quantum sensing deals with the design and engineering of quantum mechanical systems and measurements with potential for better performance than any classical strategy in a number of technological applications. Of the wide range of quantum mechanical systems that can be used as a quantum sensor, most can be classified as photonic systems or solid state systems. ===Photonic quantum sensors, microscopy and gravitational wave detectors=== For photonic systems, current areas of research consider feedback and adaptive protocols. This is an active area of research in discrimination and estimation of bosonic loss. Injecting squeezed light into interferometers allows for higher sensitivity to weak signals that would be unable to be classically detected. A practical application of quantum sensing is realized in gravitational wave sensing. Gravitational wave detectors, such as LIGO, utilize squeezed light to measure signals below the standard quantum limit. Squeezed light has also been used to detect signals below the standard quantum limit in plasmonic sensors and atomic force microscopy. ===Other uses of entanglement=== Entanglement can be used to improve upon existing atomic clocks or create more sensitive magnetometers. ===Quantum radars=== Quantum radar is also an active area of research. Current classical radars can interrogate many target bins while quantum radars are limited to a single polarization or range. A proof-of-concept quantum radar or quantum illuminator using quantum entangled microwaves was able to detect low reflectivity objects at room-temperature – such may be useful for improved radar systems, security scanners and medical imaging systems. ===Neuroimaging=== In neuroimaging, the first quantum brain scanner uses magnetic imaging and could become a novel whole-brain scanning approach. ===Gravity cartography of subterraneans=== Quantum gravity-gradiometers that could be used to and investigate subterraneans are also in development.

Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1362486523 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.