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Quantum infrastructure software developer Q-CTRL has secured two contracts with DARPA’s Robust Quantum Sensors program.
The Q-CTRL contracts, valued at $38 million, will augment the company’s field-validated quantum sensing technologies for demanding real-world use cases in high-performance military vehicles.
Q-CTRL will develop next-generation quantum sensors for navigation based on field trials of airborne, maritime and ground-based quantum navigation augmented by their proprietary artificial intelligence-powered software ruggedisation.
“DARPA has an incredible track record of delivering innovations that change the face of society, from the internet and mobile phones to night vision and stealth,” Q-CTRL chief executive officer and founder Michael J Biercuk said.
“We’re honoured that our recent demonstrations and exciting new ideas earned Q-CTRL’s selection to deliver a new generation of software-ruggedised quantum sensors for the most challenging defence missions.
“We’re here to win and are excited to work with the team at DARPA for the benefit of the warfighter.”
Q-CTRL will be joined by Lockheed Martin as a subcontractor on one aspect of the RoQS program. Both companies were awarded a contract in March by the US Department of Defense’s Innovation Unit to prototype a quantum-enabled inertial navigation system.
RoQS was established by DARPA to accelerate the development, testing and validation of quantum sensors for real-world defence applications, which include maintaining stability against environmental interference, mechanical vibrations and heavy g-forces.
“We look forward to supporting Q-CTRL and DARPA in the development of robust quantum-enhanced navigational technology,” Lockheed Martin senior fellow Thomas Loftus said.
“This award signifies the priority defence agencies are placing on the potential for quantum navigation solutions to deliver transformational national security capabilities that complement GPS.”
Additionally, Q-CTRL’s programs target the complementary missions of geophysical mapping of gravity and magnetic fields, as well as positioning based on matching detected signals to the pre-generated maps.
This approach provides huge advantages in navigational missions and delivers new insights into minerals prospecting and underground target detection.
“USGS, NASA, and other federal agencies are exploring how to use the emerging generation of highly capable, mobile quantum sensors to detect and assess mineral deposits, and to map out detailed subsurface patterns for GNSS-denied navigation,” said Jonathan Stock, NASA Ames Intelligent Systems Division, chief scientist for innovation.
“DARPA’s awards to Q-CTRL illustrate the potential for impactful new use of this technology, and NASA looks forward to pursuing a deeper relationship with Q-CTRL.”
Ironstone Opal, the company’s quantum-assured navigation system, recently outperformed a high-end inertial navigation system in flight for the first time, achieving up to 111x greater positioning accuracy when GPS was unavailable, a significant step forward for real-world applications of quantum sensing to defence missions.
In these tests, the company’s proprietary AI-driven, software-level innovation was the key to the removal of platform interference.
Ironstone Opal’s navigation system was also recently validated in maritime trials on board the Royal Australian Naval vessel, MV Sycamore.
