Next generation quantum sensing and metrology technologies (RIA) -

Expected Outcome

Projects are expected to contribute to demonstrate the feasibility of next generation quantum sensing and metrology technologies and devices by showing disruptive progress in the performance, reliability and efficiency and application of such technologies and devices and by enhancing the TRL of all (essential) components necessary to build them.

Scope

Proposals should focus on next generation quantum sensors and metrology devices such as for example quantum enhanced spectroscopy and imaging, including entangled and/or superposition-based clocks, quantum opto-mechanical sensing devices, squeezed states of light, point-defects in the solid-state (bulk or 2D materials). They are expected to provide extreme precision and accuracy measurements in many fields, beyond the performance of consumer devices and services, in applications such as for example medical diagnostics and imaging, quantum enhanced spectroscopy and imaging, entangled clocks, inertial sensors, high and quantum opto-mechanical sensing devices, radio-frequency sensing, high-precision navigation and monitoring, ultraprecise time standards in aerospace or information networks, quantum imaging and non-line-of-sight imaging, quantum communications and cryptography relevant for security, communication to future applications in the Internet of Things, hybrid superconducting-magnetic / sensing devices, quantum imaging for material science and microelectronics.

Proposals should address: (i) the development of new methods and techniques to achieve full control over all relevant quantum degrees of freedom and to protect them from environmental noise; and/or (ii) identify correlated quantum states that outperform uncorrelated systems in a noisy environment and methods to prepare them reliably. Proposed work should exploit quantum properties (such as coherence, superposition and entanglement) emerging in quantum systems to improve the performance of the targeted sensors technologies (e.g. in terms of resolution, sensitivity or noise), well beyond the classical limits.

Proposals should target the development of laboratory prototypes (from TRL 2-3 to 4-5) demonstrating the practical usefulness of engineered quantum states of light/matter to improve sensing or imaging and develop and demonstrate optimized quantum software for detection applications in real-world applications. They should leverage interdisciplinary expertise and join forces with metrology institutes or other relevant technical fields to further advance the limits of sensors sensitivity and resolution and to implement the best control protocols, statistical techniques (e.g. Bayesian, among others) and machine learning algorithms as appropriate.

Projects should build on or seek collaboration with existing projects and develop synergies with other relevant European, national or regional initiatives, funding programmes and platforms and contribute to the governance and overall coordination of the Quantum Technologies Flagship initiative.

In this topic the integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content is not a mandatory requirement.

Activities are expected to start at TRL 2-3 and achieve TRL 4-5 by the end of the project – see General Annex B.

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