Avasant Quantum Series: Quantum Sensing in Business – What Every Enterprise Leader Needs to Know

Introduction

Quantum sensing represents a transformative leap in sensor technology by integrating the principles of quantum mechanics, such as superposition, entanglement, and interference, into measurement systems. Unlike quantum computing, which is focused on processing and computation of information, quantum sensing is dedicated to ultraprecise measurement of physical phenomena such as rotation, acceleration, pressure, gravity, magnetic fields, electric fields, and even the passage of time. Mentioned below are the key advantages of quantum sensors:

1. 1. Unprecedented precision: Quantum sensors can detect and quantify fundamental physical forces such as gravity, acceleration, and electromagnetic fields at the quantum scale. Their ability to measure at subatomic precision levels allows for greater accuracy than traditional sensors built on chemical, mechanical, or classical electrical principles.
   2. High performance in harsh environments: These sensors maintain exceptional signal-to-noise ratios even under extreme or noisy conditions where conventional sensors struggle, such as deep underground, in space, or within biologically sensitive areas. This makes them ideal for use cases in mining, defense, space exploration, and medical imaging, where accuracy and robustness are critical.

How Do Quantum Sensors Work?

Quantum sensors operate by leveraging the delicate and highly sensitive properties of quantum systems, such as atoms, ions, or photons, to detect and measure changes in physical phenomena. By carefully preparing a quantum system (cryogenic cooling and magnetic shielding) and observing how it evolves under specific conditions, scientists and engineers can infer precise information about the surrounding environment.

Several physical approaches to developing quantum sensors exist, each harnessing a different quantum system and tailored for specific use cases. The following are the most commercially viable and widely explored methods currently in development or early deployment.

Each technology has its strengths, depending on the desired measurement type, required sensitivity, and environmental constraints.

Industry Applications and Adoption

Quantum sensing is no longer a moonshot; it is a near-term disruptor with real commercial traction. With its unparalleled precision and ability to operate in extreme or data-scarce environments, quantum sensing is redefining how enterprises measure, monitor, and interact with the physical world. Aerospace and defense are already piloting quantum sensing technologies for applications in mission-critical use cases.

• Indian Navy: In January 2025, QuBeats, a deep tech startup specializing in quantum sensing, secured ~USD 3M crore grant to develop a quantum positioning system (QPS) for the Indian Navy. The system is designed to enable precise navigation for ships and submarines in GPS-denied environments.
• Airbus: In December 2023, Airbus’s Silicon Valley innovation hub, Acubed, partnered with SandboxAQ to integrate its AQNav quantum magnetic navigation system into a test aircraft. The pilot program aims to evaluate how quantum magnetometer-based navigation can enhance accuracy and resilience in GPS-contested airspace.

As the technology matures and commercial systems become more accessible, quantum sensing is expected to play an increasingly important role in high-stakes, data-driven decision-making across sectors such as healthcare and lifesciences for diagnostics and imaging and utilities for grid monitoring and fault detection.

• Business applications: Quantum sensing is emerging as a critical enabler for high-precision, high-impact business functions across industries, allowing enterprises to operate effectively in environments where conventional sensing fails (for instance, underground, underwater, or in high-interference zones). As commercial solutions mature, quantum sensing is poised to become a strategic tool for operational resilience, risk reduction, and decision intelligence.
  • Imaging
    • Diagnostics precision: Quantum sensors are unlocking a new era of non-invasive, high-resolution diagnostics, enabling clinicians to detect heart conditions, neurological disorders, and metabolic changes with unprecedented accuracy. From magnetocardiography for early cardiac insights to enhanced CT/MRI imaging at lower radiation, and even real-time microbiome analysis, quantum sensing is accelerating early diagnosis, reducing patient risk, and advancing personalized care at scale.
    • Next-generation neuroimaging: Optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs) make high-precision brain scanning possible without cryogenic cooling. These compact systems enable real-time magnetoencephalography (MEG), allowing clinicians to monitor brain activity even during movement. This advancement is a breakthrough for pediatric and neurological applications.

1. • Navigation

• • • Navigation in GPS-denied environments: Quantum gyroscopes, accelerometers, and quantum positioning systems (QPS) enable highly precise inertial navigation in environments where GPS signals are blocked, unreliable, or deliberately jammed. This ensures uninterrupted situational awareness and operational continuity.
    • High-precision navigation in critical environments: Quantum inertial sensors deliver ultrahigh sensitivity and long-term stability without the drift associated with traditional sensors. This allows for accurate, autonomous movement in enclosed or high-security settings such as defense installations, mining zones, and smart manufacturing facilities, where every millimeter counts and GPS cannot reach.

1. • Positioning

• • • Subsurface awareness for infrastructure projects: Quantum gravimeters allow developers to detect underground voids, buried utilities, and subtle density changes before initiating construction. This helps avoid costly surprises during tunnel boring, heavy equipment staging, or deep foundation work, minimizing rework, delays, and legal exposure.
    • Next-generation geospatial intelligence: Advanced quantum sensors such as atomic gyroscopes and atom interferometers offer highly precise data on location, orientation, tilt, and movement, far beyond what classical systems provide. This enables smarter decisions in layout planning, structural safety checks, and machine placement, especially in complex or unpredictable environments such as dense urban areas, aging infrastructure zones, and unstable terrain.

1. • Timing

• • • Ultraresilient infrastructure synchronization: Quantum clocks provide unparalleled timing accuracy and stability, enabling seamless synchronization across distributed networks, data centers, and time-sensitive applications. This is vital for sectors such as finance, telecom, and industrial automation, where even microsecond delays can result in data loss, performance degradation, or financial risk.
    • Enhanced observability and security: By virtually eliminating timing drift and jitter, quantum timing strengthens system observability and auditability. It empowers organizations to detect anomalies faster, support forensic investigations, and coordinate complex, real-time workloads across hybrid or multicloud environments, especially in cybersecurity monitoring, high-frequency trading, and distributed control systems.

1. • Geological exploration

• • • Proactive geohazard detection: Quantum-enabled gravimetric and magnetic monitoring systems allow real-time tracking of ground movement and environmental stress. This helps organizations detect early warning signs of geohazards, such as land subsidence near mining zones, destabilization of post-extraction voids, or stress accumulation near fault lines, before they lead to costly or dangerous outcomes.
    • Intelligent resource mapping: Quantum magnetometers provide detailed maps of magnetic field variations, enabling material-level discrimination of subsurface features. This supports more accurate mineral classification, geothermal potential assessment, and efficient exploration route planning, especially in remote, geologically complex, or high-risk terrains.
• Enabling quantum ecosystem: Quantum sensors are not just standalone tools; they are foundational enablers that enhance the performance and reliability of quantum computing and communication systems.
  • Quantum computing
    • Noise suppression for qubit stability: Quantum magnetometers and cryogenic sensors actively monitor and counteract environmental interference, such as magnetic field fluctuations and thermal drift, that degrade qubit performance. This improves system reliability and reduces computational error rates.
    • Precision temperature control: Quantum thermometers and nanoscale field sensors ensure tight control over chip-level and cryogenic cooling conditions (for instance, dilution refrigerators), which is essential for preserving coherence in superconducting and trapped-ion qubit systems.

• • Quantum communication

• • • Stabilizing quantum internet: As qubits travel through optical fibers, environmental disturbances such as vibration, stress, or heat can distort quantum states. Quantum sensors monitor these variables in real-time, enabling dynamic correction and ensuring high-fidelity transmission across quantum communication networks.
    • Enabling node-free secure communication: Entanglement-based protocols rely on quantum sensors to detect and verify the delicate quantum states of entangled photons. This underpins future architectures for secure, decentralized (node-free) quantum communications that are inherently resistant to interception or tampering.

Recommendations for Enterprises

As quantum sensing moves from research to real-world implementation, enterprises have a unique opportunity to gain a competitive edge by integrating these advanced capabilities into their operations. However, successful adoption requires more than just acquiring the technology; it demands strategic alignment, the right partnerships, and operational readiness. This is especially true in sectors such as aerospace and defense, healthcare and life sciences, oil and gas, travel and transportation, utilities, and the public sector that are poised to benefit the most.

These industries rely heavily on precision, reliability, and the ability to operate in complex or harsh environments—areas where quantum sensing excels. For instance, aerospace and defense organizations can use quantum inertial navigation for GPS-denied environments, while healthcare can improve diagnostics with quantum-enhanced imaging. In oil and gas, subsurface mapping can reach new levels of accuracy, and in transportation, quantum sensors can optimize navigation and structural monitoring. Utilities and the public sector can leverage these tools for infrastructure resilience, environmental monitoring, and disaster response. Here are three key recommendations to guide enterprise adoption:

1. 1. Start with high-impact, low-signal environments: Target use cases where classical sensors struggle, such as GPS-denied navigation, subsurface exploration, or ultrasensitive medical diagnostics. These scenarios allow quantum sensors to demonstrate clear performance gains with minimal integration risk.
   2. Collaborate with niche innovators and academic leaders: Leverage partnerships with quantum startups, national labs, or university research centers to access cutting-edge sensor platforms and tailored expertise. These collaborations help reduce time-to-value while sharing the risk of early-stage deployment.
   3. Invest in talent and data readiness: Unlike conventional sensors, quantum sensors generate high-resolution, often unfamiliar data formats that require specialized interpretation. Organizations should invest in upskilling technical teams, particularly in quantum physics, signal processing, and advanced analytics, and ensure that IT infrastructure can ingest, store, and analyze high-precision sensor data.

By Chandrika Dutt, Research Director and Vaibhav Kumar, Research Intern