Q-CTRL Secures Contract to Develop Quantum Navigation Systems for Submarines
The Australian Department of Defence has given the Australian business Q-CTRL a contract to create quantum mechanics technology that will revolutionize submarine navigation for the AUKUS treaty partners. The aim is to enhance the navigation capabilities of submarines during long underwater missions.
The stealth of submarines
Stealth is the submarine’s greatest advantage, making it challenging to detect once submerged. This makes submarines powerful war assets and effective peacekeeping tools, as they can be deployed to unstable regions as a display of force without direct provocation. In some cases, their mere presence can have the desired effect.
However, this stealth capability comes with limitations, particularly regarding navigation. Once beneath the waves, submarines lose access to GPS signals and traditional navigation methods such as celestial observations. As a result, submarine captains rely on dead reckoning using gyrocompasses and inertial guidance systems that calculate the vessel’s course and position based on its movements and accelerations across all three axes.
While this system works, it has inherent limitations. Over time, errors accumulate, causing the submarine to deviate from its intended course and position, potentially leading to significant discrepancies. Submarines must periodically resurface to obtain navigational fixes, which exposes them to the risk of detection.
Description of Q-CTRL’s work
Q-CTRL is developing a quantum navigation system to address this challenge. By utilizing quantum sensors and leveraging the unique properties of quantum mechanics—such as quantum entanglement, quantum interference, and quantum state squeezing—the system aims to achieve precise and accurate submarine navigation.
At its core, the quantum navigation system utilizes the motions of a single atom to determine the submarine’s course and position with remarkable accuracy. Q-CTRL claims that the system can calculate the submerged boat’s position within a mile (1.6 km) for every 1,000 hours of underwater operation.
A critical factor in this development is software ruggedness. Quantum sensing is susceptible to interference, which can introduce noise into the calculations and reduce reliability. However, through advanced software analysis, the system can be programmed to identify and reject interference while focusing on target signals.
Technology beneficiaries
As the technology is being developed under the AUKUS treaty, it will be shared among Australia, the United States, and Britain.
Q-CTRL CEO and Founder Prof. Michael J. Biercuk expressed excitement about the project, stating, “From day one, we knew that our specialized expertise in quantum control could unlock new applications of quantum technology. We’ve shown we can boost the performance of quantum computers and quantum sensors by orders of magnitude—entirely through software. Now we’re pleased to apply these capabilities to a critical defense mission for Australia.”
Read the original article on New Atlas.
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