New quantum magnetometer created to map Earth’s magnetic field

SBQuantum, a Canadian company, in collaboration with Spire Global An innovative technique to map the earth’s magnetic field using diamonds. The team is one of three finalists in the MagQuest Challenge, a global competition hosted by the US National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.

The Earth’s magnetic field, also known as the Earth Magnetic Model (MMW), is of great importance to navigation and communications systems used by billions of people and devices every day. However, it is constantly changing due to the movements of the Earth’s core and requires frequent updates to maintain accuracy.

SBQuantum’s solution uses a diamond magnetometer to accurately and consistently measure magnetic field strength and direction. This magnetometer uses quantum effects to create a red glow in the diamond crystal as a result of magnetic field measurements.

How does a magnetometer work?

Quantum magnetometer uses a special type of diamond with nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers. These are defects found in the crystal structure of diamond, where a nitrogen atom replaces a carbon atom and adjacent empty space. This results in a pair of electrons that can be manipulated by light and magnetic fields..

When illuminating a diamond with a green laser, the electrons are in a quantum state bound to the Earth’s magnetic field. They then emit red light, revealing the strength and direction of the magnetic field at that point. This helps in measuring the magnetic field accurately.

They also use tensor gradiometry. a technique that measures changes in the magnetic field in different directions. This helps determine the properties of other objects that interfere with the magnetic field, such as minerals, metals or submarines.

SBQuantum filters out ambient noise like cars or power lines using its own algorithms. They focus on important things and obtain valuable information using magnetic data. That’s what they say”Intelligence Magnetic“.

The team will also use a machine learning algorithm to eliminate interference from other sources such as satellites or solar activity. The algorithm will be improved with data from different satellite sensors.

They argue that their solution will provide more accurate and frequent MMW measurements than existing space-based methods. and your magnetometer will have greater durability compared to existing sensors.

“We are very excited to participate in the final stage of this prestigious competition. We are working hard on the development of our diamond-powered quantum magnetometer and balancing algorithms,” said David Roy-Guay, CEO of SBQuantum. “It’s a great opportunity to showcase our space technology and demonstrate its potential for a variety of applications.”

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