Quantum Assured Precision Navigation and Timing

#quantum #navigation #timing

Dear IEEE members and invited guests

The final IEEE Control, Aerospace and Electronic Systems (CAES) seminar for 2020 will be on December 14th, 2020 at 7:30pm (Adelaide time).

The speakers are David Bird, David Pulford and Ben Sparkes from the Defence Science and Technology Group and they will be presenting a seminar on:

Quantum Assured Precision Navigation and Timing

Please aim to join the webex meeting before hand, so we can start on time.  

https://ieeemeetings.webex.com/ieeemeetings/j.php?MTID=m63888c6fb4ef0c6f5852cae852d4218c

Regards

Luke Rosenberg

IEEE SA CAES chapter chair

Quantum Assured Precision Navigation and Timing

Presenters: David Bird, David Pulford and Ben Sparkes,

Defence has announced a Quantum Assured Position, Navigation and Timing STaR Shot as part of its new Science and Technology Strategy “More, Together” (released May 2020).

 Since its inception in 1978, the US Global Positioning System (GPS) has had a revolutionary impact on military capability. It has enabled precise navigation and manoeuvre on the battlefield, allowed the development of precision-guided weapons and provided an unprecedented ability to coordinate and synchronise a distributed force. This dependence on global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) has carried over to the civilian and commercial sectors.

Deep reliance on GNSS by armed forces represents a critical vulnerability as adversaries might seek to degrade or deny access by electronic jamming and deception or through anti-satellite systems. This threat extends beyond restricting the ability to navigate, potentially affecting other fundamental capabilities such as secure communications, intelligence collection and the synchronisation of distributed military systems and networks.

The ADF and coalition partners must have assured position, navigation and timing (PNT) capabilities that would enable uninterrupted operation in GNSS-degraded or denied conditions. This includes in contested environments and complex terrain where obtaining satellite reception is challenging (such as in subterranean, mountainous, underwater or dense urban settings).

The ADF’s assured PNT capability will integrate emerging quantum technologies with conventional solutions to provide sensitivity, accuracy and precision over extended timeframes and under a range of operationally relevant conditions in the absence of GNSS signals.

Within this STaR Shot, there is a focus on:

• Development, miniaturisation and maturation of quantum clocks, accelerometers, magnetometers and gravimeters.
• Advances in classical technologies to improve sensitivity, accuracy and precision; and reduce drift over long durations.
• Integration and fusion of quantum and classical solutions for timing and navigation.

This talk will introduce the STaR Shot and discuss some of the technologies being considered under the STaR Shot.

https://www.dst.defence.gov.au/strategy/star-shots/quantum-assured-pnt

Biography – David Bird

David was awarded a PhD in High Energy Astrophysics by the University of Adelaide in 1991. Following postdoctoral appointments at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University of Utah, Iowa State University and the University of Adelaide, David joined DSTO in 1998 as a Senior Research Scientist.

In 2018 David was appointed as the inaugural leader of the Quantum Technologies Group within the Cyber and Electronic Warfare Division and tasked with establishing and growing this group, with a focus on Quantum Sensing, Communications and Timing. He was also appointed to the role of Deputy Lead of the Quantum Technologies Theme under the Next Generation Technologies Fund.

In 2020 he was appointed as the Leader of the Quantum Assured Position, Navigation and Timing STaR Shot.

Biography – David Pulford

David Pulford began his career at DST as Cadet Research Scientist in 1988.  He completed his PhD in the area of optical diagnostics for hypersonic flows (thesis title “Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering in a free piston shock tunnel”).  After completing his studies he worked on optical communication systems security.  His success in this area led to an invitation to work at the University of Maryland and Fort Meade in the US to further research in this area from. 

In 2010 David moved from C3ID to JOAD where he has worked as a member of the Technology Foresighting and Futures group.  There he has contributed to activities of this group and managed a range of agreements on quantum technologies supported by Defence and the US government.  During this time David has also served on the advisory board for the Centre for Engineered Quantum Systems. 

In 2016 David applied for and won a CDS Fellowship.  The fellowship focused on developing technologies for compact atomic clocks using quantum technologies.  The aim of the fellowship was to produce devices which afford continuation of Defence activities where communications channels which enable clock synchronisation are contested.  During his fellowship David has participated in development of the NGTF Quantum Technology Research Network and is providing technical oversight for a CTD in inertial navigation and is also an observer for the Academy of Science’s National Committee for Physics.

David is now a member of the recently established Quantum Technology Group in CEWD at DST and is also Deputy STaR shot leader, Quantum Assured PNT.  

Biography – Ben Sparkes

Ben obtained his PhD from the Australian National University in 2013, where he developed techniques to store and manipulate optical quantum information. He then moved to the University of Melbourne to work on the creation of a cold atom electron and ion source. In 2017 Ben was awarded an Australian Research Council DECRA Fellowship and joined the Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, University of Adelaide working towards realising a fibre-based optical quantum information network for absolutely-secure communications and next-generation computing. In 2020 Ben joined the Defence Science and Technology Group as a Quantum Technology Researcher, where he is working on projects ranging from compact atomic clocks through to extremely sensitive magnetometers. Other career highlights include spending three months working at Columbia University in New York City in 2019 on a Fulbright Future Scholarship and being named the South Australian Tall Poppy of the Year in 2018.