Poised to disrupt traditional notions in magnetic measurement and our comprehension of the earth’s magnetic field, quantum magnetometry is garnering increased attention. A trailblazing developer of quantum diamond magnetometers is SBQuantum, located in Sherbrooke about 150 km east of Montreal in the Canadian province of Quebec. Recent developments by the company include significant contracts with national space agencies and a collaboration with Silicon Microgravity focused on minerals exploration, along with advancement to finalist status in the prestigious MagQuest Challenge to help build the World Magnetic Model 2030.
The European Space Agency recently contracted SB Quantum to evaluate the viability of its quantum diamond magnetometer technology in space. ESA is assessing both the reliability and accuracy of its sensors, as well as how they could be deployed on a satellite in space for a range of applications. The contract focuses on applications enriching human understanding of Earth and its magnetic environment. For instance, satellite-based magnetometers can be useful in monitoring magnetic storms, which can disrupt navigation and communications.
The Canadian Space Agency has also selected SBQuantum for its magnetometer at an altitude of 40km as part of the STRATOS Program. The testing is designed to demonstrate the instrument’s ability to collect precise data in temperatures as low as -60 Celsius (-76 Fahrenheit) and low-pressure environments, while also being exposed to radiation. The project includes a demonstration of magnetic field-based positioning using a quantum diamond magnetometer, as opposed to relying on the heavy infrastructure of traditional GPS which is subject to signal jamming.
“These contracts are further evidence of the tremendous potential of the quantum diamond magnetometers we are commercializing at SBQuantum,” said David Roy-Guay, CEO of SBQuantum. “Years of investment, research and development are now beginning to pay off, as leading organizations in space exploration are acknowledging that our hardware has the potential to provide an important advantage over existing technologies. Furthermore, these sensors can be deployed for a range of applications, and therefore provide significant value to the user at a fraction of the cost of the legacy technologies currently in use.”
“The technology is promising, and we are optimistic that its advantages can be realized in space as well” added Aaron Strangfeld, Quantum Engineer at ESA.
The projects build the company’s momentum from the MagQuest Challenge, which is organized by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, an agency within the U.S. Department of Defense, in partnership with the NASA Tournament Lab. SBQuantum is currently a finalist in that challenge, which will see its quantum magnetometer sent into space for testing. The results will determine if the device is suitable to be used by the agencies for mapping and monitoring the earth’s magnetic field.
Stay tuned for a special report in Magnetics Magazine about MagQuest Challenge.
Highlighting the magnetometry developments of the four finalists
preparing for launch into low-level orbit on cubesats.
The goal is to build World Magnetic Model 2023, seen as critical for logistics around the world by powering mobile navigation apps and supporting military navigation.
Confirming the durability and accuracy of these devices would also pave the way for additional space-based applications ranging from attitude control and guiding rovers on the surface of other planets, to mapping minerals under the surface of the moon and an array of other possibilities. The sensors can easily be mounted on small cube satellites and launched into orbit at a nominal cost, making precise, detailed data about the earth’s magnetics and geophysics easily accessible to those stakeholders who require it for planning operations, mapping logistics or other relevant applications.
Minerals exploration with Silicon Microgravity
The partnership with Silicon Microgravity, a disruptive technology company developing innovative inertial and gravity sensors that was spun out of the University of Cambridge’s Nanoscience Centre, came in March 2024. The project will see the development of a drone-based system of sensors combining magnetics and gravimetry to accelerate the location and analysis of underground mineral deposits for the mining industry.
“It is of paramount importance for SBQuantum to both develop international partnerships as well as diversify our sensing stack to improve hit rates for mineral drilling. This project with Silicon Microgravity accomplishes both. We would like to thank IRAP for providing part of the funding to deploy quantum magnetometers in the field, on airborne platforms, and we’re eagerly looking forward to deploying this hardware in the field” said Roy-Guay.
The Science
Magnetometry is one of the oldest measurement technologies, so what are nitrogen vacancy diamonds? NV centers occur when the carbon lattice of a diamond is interrupted by a nitrogen atom and an adjacent void. This can occur naturally, but more often is specially engineered. The introduction of the nitrogen atom frees a single pair of electrons from the diamond’s chemical structure which allows SBQuantum to derive magnetic information from their spin.
SBQuantum’s diamond magnetometer leverages quantum properties to reduce drifts such as those induced by temperature constraints which can distort readings from today’s classical technologies. The diamond crystal contains four sensing axes in a very small volume at the atomic scale, and the amplitude and direction of its magnetic field measurements provides high accuracy with no blind spots. The device’s use of quantum effects also provides a greater accuracy than existing technologies. By applying a green laser and microwaves to the diamond, a red glow is generated which translates directly to the magnetic field vector measurements at the basis of the World Magnetic Model.
The company’s proprietary algorithms allow it to capitalize on the vectorial data and maximize the information gathered on metallic or magnetic objects. Not only can an object’s presence be observed, its size, orientation, material and distance from the sensor can be determined. An advantage of the compact sensors is that they fit easily onto autonomous platforms such as drones, rovers or autonomous underwater vehicles. For more info, see www.sbquantum.com and www.silicong.com.
