Quantum Sensor for Direction Finding and Geolocation

Innovations in materials and nanoelectronics have made it possible to measure electromagnetic signals with unprecedented precision and near quantum limited sensitivity. Magnetic field sensors such as superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) have been theoretically explored by the Air Force for high frequency direction finding (HFDF) applications. The objective of this project is to facilitate experimental evaluation of such systems by a) building and testing a quantum based EM sensor that exhibits superior detection of RF signals, and b) developing code that processing signals from multiple such sensors to demonstrate proof-of-concept utility in a direction finding task. The outcome of this project will be a complete quantum based EM sensor, including readout electronics and output specifications, that can be used for further experimental evaluation of such systems for advanced direction finding and geolocation algorithms.