Quantum sensors: new opportunities for medicine, everyday life and industry

They can detect cancer at an earlier stage, control prostheses, and measure the tiniest signals at the limits of what is theoretically feasible. Quantum sensors are at the cutting edge of sensor technology. A team led by Prof. Jens Anders, spokesperson for the cluster and Head of the Institute of Smart Sensors and Theoretical Electrical Engineering (IIS), and Prof. Jörg Wrachtrup, co-spokesperson and Head of the Institute of Physics (3) at the University of Stuttgart is carrying out research into quantum sensor technology as part of the future cluster “Quantum Sensors for the Future (QSens)”.

“We’re making quantum sensors which are suitable for everyday use”, said Anders describing one of the objectives of QSens. The scientists want to develop highly-precise and inexpensive sensors for industry and end customers. The first quantum sensors should be mass produced within three or four years.

The industry has recognized the huge potential of quantum sensors. They can measure more precisely, which opens the door to countless new applications which are not possible using traditional sensors. Quantum sensors can record even the tiniest of signals and changes and measure more accurately than any previous sensor ever made, whether magnetic fields, acceleration or pressure. “We’re at the limit of what it’s physically possible to measure”, says Anders. Unlike traditional sensors, measurements made by quantum sensors often directly correspond with the reference values of the SI units for physical sizes. This removes the need to calibrate which would otherwise be necessary and thus saves money.

The sensors developed by QSens are intended for use in everyday fields such as mobility, healthcare, the Internet of Things and sustainability. In the future for example, quantum sensors will be used to detect cancer before a patient shows any symptoms. To do this they measure the free radicals in the body which are a specific indicator for a variety of diseases, in particular cancer. Likewise, it will become possible in future for patients to selectively control prostheses via nerve impulses with the help of sensors. The next generation of satellite navigation systems, equipped with the latest quantum sensors, will identify their location much more precisely than today and thus make an important contribution towards autonomous driving.

Quantum sensors can also provide valuable help in terms of driver assistance. They observe the behavior of the driver. If he or she starts to get tired or has a medical emergency, the technology can send signals or take over the steering wheel to bring the car to a safe halt. It is also conceivable that people will control devices or everyday objects with their thoughts in the future instead of with their voice, such as for example telling the stereo system to change the volume or change the song. This would also be hugely advantageous for medicine. So-called “locked-in” patients who can no longer communicate would be able to make themselves understood again with the help of quantum sensor technology.

Compared to their international counterparts, German universities and companies play a leading role in carrying out research into sensor technology. The Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology in Baden-Württemberg (IQST), with participation from the University of Stuttgart, is the leading organization in Germany in the field of quantum sensor technology. QSens wants to secure and expand on Germany’s leading position from a scientific and economic perspective. The main task of the cluster initiative is basic and application-oriented research. “QSens should serve as a bridge. We transfer the findings from the physics laboratory to industry and into people’s everyday lives”, says the QSens coordinator.

Furthermore, the researchers want to make quantum sensors available to the wider public by means of events, videos and science slams. “Quantum physics is not something supernatural. It’s normal physics which you need to use when working with very, very small energy differences”, explains Anders.

Thanks to all the progress made in the second quantum revolution, it is important for Anders to set up a new professional group which can master the challenges posed by this technology, both in theoretical terms as well as in terms of putting it into practice. He wants to bring together researchers from the fields of physics and engineering to train a new generation of future engineers: quantum engineers. “Thanks to the great support provided by the university and particularly by our Rector, Prof. Wolfram Ressel, we are going to create a new office at QSens dedicated to this task.” The office will be based in the Physics Didactics group at the Institute of Physics (5). A master’s degree program in the subject is also currently being developed.