Grant: Alliance Grants

Quantum sensors can detect light at the fundamental limit of nature, down to single particles of light (photons) with high sensitivity and timing accuracy. For context, a single 12 pt letter on your computer screen sends about 500 million visible photons into your eye every second. The ability to detect single photons is advantageous for low-light-level applications such as biological imaging, defence, and quantum computing. However, portable single-photon detectors and cameras in the short-wave infrared region (i.e. in the wavelength range where our eye cannot see) needed for these applications have limited efficiency below 25% and poor timing accuracy (~300 ps). Prof. Reimer and Prof. Levine from the University of Waterloo have partnered with Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) to revolutionize the field of quantum sensing by developing portable, quantum sensors based on novel nanostructures with enhanced efficiency (> 90%) and an order of magnitude improved timing accuracy (< 30 ps) as compared to the state-of-the-art. Realizing portable, quantum sensors with these enhanced functionalities will enable eye imaging with higher sensitivity and resolution to aid ophthalmologists in identifying early stages of potentially blinding diseases, enhance surveillance and sensing capabilities of moving targets in defence and security to protect Canadians, boost the speed and accuracy of quantum computation, and extend the distance of quantum communication to keep our data secure. As a technology and innovation leader for defence and security, DRDC will accelerate the development of the proposed novel quantum sensors for quantum sensing systems in Canada. DRDC will also help the commercialization of the novel quantum sensors by identifying emerging quantum companies and providing support by being an early adopter of the technology for integration in their systems and that of their clients for enhanced sensing capabilities for defence, security, and imaging applications.