CAREER: Solid-state quantum navigation and timekeeping

Quantum sensing can be broadly described as the use of quantum systems and phenomena to measure the physical properties of their environment. Quantum sensors using atoms and ions have led to the most precise clocks and measurements of inertial forces such as acceleration and rotation, which make them attractive for their potential use in navigation systems.

However, the hardware needed to prepare and measure atoms and ions tend to be big and complex, making it challenging to miniaturize these sensors as well as maintain high performance in real-world settings. This project will develop alternative navigation tools based on solid-state quantum systems, which can circumvent some of the difficulties in integrating and miniaturizing atom-based sensors.

Given the limitations of the Global Positioning System (GPS), which can be vulnerable to signal obstruction and interference, these miniaturized and accurate quantum sensors have the potential to improve the safety of civilians when traveling in challenging terrains and make autonomous vehicles safer and more reliable. The technical developments in the project will be conducted alongside education and outreach activities that focus on multidisciplinary training of undergraduate and graduate students in the fields of quantum and optical science, electrical engineering, and materials science, as well as broadening participation of students form diverse backgrounds in quantum research.

These activities will include introduction of new undergraduate courses on quantum sensing and development of classroom lab kits for high-school education.

This project aim to realize compact, deployable, and self-reliant navigation and timekeeping systems using quantum emitters in Group IV materials through three research thrusts: (1) Engineering of broadband and stable vector magnetometry using color centers in diamond for magnetic navigation, by enhancing sensitivity through integration with photonic devices designed with adjoint optimization and by conducting simultaneous measurements of complementary properties to isolate the vector magnetic field of interest. (2) Demonstration of accelerometers and gyroscopes based on solid-state spins, with emphasis on improving the stability and quantum coherence of spin defects and implementing combinatorial algorithms that enable real-time cancellation of undesired background (non-inertial) perturbations that affect the inertial signal. (3) Exploration of magnetically insensitive electron transitions in silicon carbide for timing, with the ultimate goal of realizing practical and miniaturized solid-state quantum clocks with superior performance to crystal oscillators. This thrust will leverage materials processing and device fabrication technologies in silicon to generate high-quality quantum defects, as well as combine techniques developed from earlier thrusts to stabilize the clock signal.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.