Quantum clocks offer navigation precision far beyond current GPS systems in naval tests

It has been proven that the quantum optical clocks developed at the University of Adelaide surpass GPS navigation systems by many orders of magnitude. The clocks, which have been put to the test in naval exercises, were designed to be robust enough to withstand waves while they are on ships.

The previous versions of clocks that work at this level of precision are not portable, because they require large amounts of laboratory space and are too sensitive to movement and temperature changes.

The clocks were developed by a team led by Professor Andre Luite of the University of Adélaïde, innovative in chief and president of experimental physics at the Institute of Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPA), in partnership with colleagues from Defense Science and Technology Group (DSTG).

“The insured timing is essential for communication and positioning applications, in particular at a time when sovereign defense capacity is of increasing importance,” said Professor Luten.

“Synchronization signals are currently provided by the overall positioning system (GPS). However, in disputed environments, where GPs can be blocked or usurped, the synchronization of time between locations is quickly deteriorating. A solution to this problem for the Australian defense force (ADF) is an area developed by a sovereign.

“The cutting -edge generation of clocks developed by the IPA and DST team is between 20 and 200 times more precise on a second of measurement time than the current international standard,” said Dr. Ashby Hilton, research physicist for the IPAS team. The two clocks are optical atomic clocks, using the Rubidium and YTTTERBIUM elements to provide incredibly pure synchronization signals, which allow performance superior to GPS clocks. *

The clocks designed by the team rely on sealed cells containing a low -pressure atom. These cells are then questioned with lasers with specific colors, and the information extracted is used to direct the wavelength of the laser to the stability of the atom.

The clocks have been deployed, as well as other Quantum detection and synchronization technologies, on the edge of the Pacific naval exercises (RIMPAC) in July 2022, off Hawaii, as part of an alternative position, navigation and a synchronization challenge which opposed them to the technology developed by other countries.

The complete results of field tests have now been published in the journal Nature communications.

“Rimpac was the first time that a set of optical atomic clocks has been demonstrated at sea, an important step for the assured timing and navigation,” said Ashby. “The best quantum technologies from around the world were installed in an expedition container during this exercise and spent more than three weeks on maneuvers. The clocks of the University of Adelaide were at the top of the performance chain of all the clocks included in the exercise.”

Although the clocks have been designed for this very specific application, future variants could have other uses, such as the constellations of new generation GPS satellites or precise registers holding in high frequency financial trading.

The university has teamed up with a local quantum technology company, with the aim of transferring the IP and the know-how of the research space and in the industry.