International Network on Sensor and Timing Applications with Quantum Technologies (INSTA-QT)
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Birmingham
Department Name: School of Physics and Astronomy
Abstract
INSTA-QT brings together experts from every inhabited continent to harness the power of the UK National Quantum Technology Program to address the Global Challenges facing the world. This will intrinsically need an international collaboration with regional practitioners to succeed and offers a natural pathway to long-term sustainable international collaborations via future global challenges programmes. We will focus on several crucial UN Sustainable Developments Goals (SDG), where Quantum Sensors and timing can make a difference. This in particular includes fighting hunger and climate change via better management of underground water and natural disasters such as droughts, flooding, earthquakes and volcanic activity. We will also link people on quantum technologies for better health and net-zero carbon. Our international participants are providing connections to local experts, who know what works and what is really needed in the real world in developing countries.
Relations initiated during workshops will be deepened by a visitor programme and opening up UK facilities for people to assess their SDG technology solutions in trials. This will allow to build a leading role for the UK in setting standards for the use of quantum sensors in practical applications and advertise the UK to international talent as attractive location for their next career step.
Relations initiated during workshops will be deepened by a visitor programme and opening up UK facilities for people to assess their SDG technology solutions in trials. This will allow to build a leading role for the UK in setting standards for the use of quantum sensors in practical applications and advertise the UK to international talent as attractive location for their next career step.
Organisations
- University of Birmingham (Lead Research Organisation)
- National Physical Laboratory (Collaboration)
- Sydney Water (Project Partner)
- Kinemetrics (Project Partner)
- University of Nottingham (Project Partner)
- Vexlum Ltd (Project Partner)
- British Geological Survey (Project Partner)
- Uni. of Applied Sciences Wiener Neustadt (Project Partner)
- INGV - Ist. Naz. Geofisica Vulcanologia (Project Partner)
- Q-CTRL GmbH (Project Partner)
- BAE Systems (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (Project Partner)
Publications
Andrea Pertoldi
(2024)
Modular Fiber Laser Platform for Strontium Atomic Clocks
Griffiths D
(2023)
Fully digital, urban networked staring radar: Simulation and experimentation
in IET Radar, Sonar & Navigation
Jahangir M
(2023)
Development of a networked photonic-enabled staring radar testbed for urban surveillance
in IET Radar, Sonar & Navigation
Jordan J. Wayland
(2023)
Development of an Ultra-Stable Clock Laser for Transportable Sr Lattice Clocks
| Description | This award is mainly for networking at an international Level. |
| Exploitation Route | This is a networking award paving the way for future collaborations and funding acquisitions. |
| Sectors | Construction Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software) Healthcare Transport Other |
| Description | POSSIBLE |
| Amount | £820,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 05/2023 |
| End | 06/2025 |
| Description | TOCK |
| Amount | € 2,400,000 (EUR) |
| Organisation | European Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | Belgium |
| Start | 04/2023 |
| End | 04/2026 |
| Description | Possible |
| Organisation | National Physical Laboratory |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | This project is about building a transportable clock in which we are the PI. We build atomics package, optics, and integrate the entire system. Both collaborators test and validate the setup. |
| Collaborator Contribution | NPL is the CoI and they bring their experience and expertise of metrology. In this particular project they deliver stabilised lasers using dual axis cavity. They also host the final setup at NPL in order to validate it. |
| Impact | Not yet |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | INSTA QT Workshop - Carbon Sequestration - British Geological Survey |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | As part of the networking and outreach activity of the project, one dedicated workshop was organised on the specific topic of 'Carbon Sequestration'. It was organised by the British Geological Survey (BGS), leader in the business. The discussion revolved around how to approach things from a sustainable future and circular economy point of you. It was also discussed how quantum technology, particularly focussed on quantum sensing and timing, could play a crucial role in this endeavour. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | INSTA QT Workshop: Battery Monitoring for Carbon Reduction |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Batteries are crucial for 4.0 industry revolution. They are life source for electric and electronic devices. However, any industrial progress ought to be conforming to the ethos of sustainability and circular economy. A specific workshop was organised on Dec 12, 2023 focussing on the topic of 'Battery monitoring for carbon reduction'. It was organised by the University of Sussex and the University of Birmingham (Ms Joanna Fletcher and Prof. Yeshpal Singh). The workshop laid a roadmap looking at 2030+. The discussion included about sustainable batteries, reuse, applications and their characterisations. It was also discussed how quantum technology, particularly, SQUIDS and Optically Pumped Magnetometer (OPM) can play a crucial role for the characterisation of EV batteries. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | INSTA QT Workshop: Water for Farming |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | As part of the networking and outreach activity of the project, one dedicated workshop was organised on the specific topic of 'Water for Farming'. It was organised by the Water for Farming. Organiser - ISPTEC, in Angola. The discussion revolved around how to approach things from a sustainable future and circular economy point of you. The event emphasised on the fact that water is a life resource, how to properly harvest and preserve it. Water as a resource is particularly a major issue in developing world including African countries. That is also the reason that the event was organised by an African institute. This only have raised an awareness but also looked for innovative solutions. For instance, how quantum technology, particularly focussed on quantum sensing and timing, could play a crucial role in this endeavour. This also has raised a profile of the UK Universities and institutes about their scientific approaches and expertise. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Industry and end user engagement |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | I was invited to give plenary talk at the DSTL symposium in Notting in Nov 2023. The participants consisted of end users, policymakers, academics and industry persons. I also participated in a workshop involving the above category people. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Insta QT Workshop on Geomagnetics and Gravimetry |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Quantum technologies offer new measurement modalities in geo-magnetometry and gravimetry, where absolute measurement, intrinsic calibration and long-term stability are of critical importance. This cross-disciplinary workshop will bring together geoscientists, data users and technology developers to explore emerging capabilities, challenges and opportunities in harnessing novel quantum technologies in geo- magnetometry and gravimetry. The organisers for the event were Dr. Stuart Ingleby (University of Strathclyde), Dr. Vicki Smith, (British Geological Survey), Dr. Paul Wilkinson (British Geological Survey), Joanna Fletcher and Yeshpal Singh (University of Birmingham). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023,2024 |
| URL | http://more.bham.ac.uk/insta-qt/ |
| Description | Metrology Symposium in Australia |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | This is a very special metrology symposium which takes place typically once in 7 years. I was invited to chair a session. The symposium also provided an opportunity to network and raise the profile of our group. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | QTRi in Thailand |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Keynote speaker as well as panel interviewer at meeting, 'The road to quantum innovation: Quantum Tech Research Initiative (QTRi) 2023', Thailand, Nov 10-11, 2023. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | STS conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | The name of the conference is STS (Science and Technology for Society) held in Japan from Oct 2-4, 2023. I represented the QT community. It is one of the most important conferences in the world and participation is only by invitation. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Workshop on UK Quantum Sensor trial facilities |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Workshop showcasing UKs trial facilities and expertise for use of quantum sensors in geophysics applications and carbon sequestration |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Workshop on the potential of Quantum Sensors for CO2 and climate change |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Workshop hosted by INSTA-QT partners in Thailand and virtually connected to partner countries around the globe, bringing together practitioners in forest fires, CO2 management, particulates with QT researchers. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | colloquium in India |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | I was invited to deliver a University Colloquium, in India. It was organised on the topic 'Ultra cold quantum gases', by Central University of Rajasthan, India, March 15, 2023. The participants were the University staffs, students and general public audiences. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |