An Australian quantum technology start-up will work with the United States' biggest mapping agency to improve their ability to monitor hazards and detect future mineral wealth.
Announcing the deal on Wednesday, Australian time, the new partners said there was "exceptional economic and strategic value" in using deep tech to see through the earth amid a changing global climate.
The deal between Q-CTRL and the US Geological Survey (USGS) aims to unlock earlier detection of hazards such as earthquakes, new ways to monitor water assets and polar ice sheets, and cut the cost of discovering energy and mineral resources.
Jonathan Stock, director of the USGS National Innovation Centre, said quantum sensors might dramatically improve the ability to detect and assess resources and hazards in our own world and beyond.
Previous barriers in geophysics and environmental sensing could be overcome by using sophisticated methods known as quantum gravimetry, quantum magnetometry and quantum-enhanced logistics optimisation.
As a step towards developing practical applications for a broad range of national and global challenges, the partnership would be "truly pushing the limits of human capabilities", Q-CTRL CEO and founder Michael J Biercuk said.
The project has been established under a formal Co-operative Research and Development Agreement, which is used to speed up the commercialisation of technology.
Breaking new ground, Q-CRTL is already working with Australia's Department of Defence on navigation technologies that detect small changes via quantum sensors for when GPS is not an option.
