A U.K. Hub for Quantum Enabled Position, Navigation and Timing (QEPNT)

The UK Hub for Quantum Enabled Position Navigation and Timing (QEPNT) will lead and support the community, ecosystem and technologies required for the UK to be a global leader in future position, navigation and timing (PNT) systems. Our vision is to deliver atomic clocks, quantum inertial sensors, single-photon LiDAR sensors and quantum-classical hybrid sensors that will create practical systems for resilient PNT applications. To build the UK community and ecosystem for QEPNT we will bring together experts from academia, industry and Government agencies to ensure delivery of technologies for national security, critical national infrastructure, aerospace, connected and autonomous vehicles, maritime, energy and other applications. Society navigates using satnavs in vehicles and mobile phones. Critical national infrastructure systems including electricity, gas, telecom, water, finance and transport depend on satellite timing signals. The 2023 UK National Risk Register indicates a loss of satellite PNT could have significant to catastrophic impact to UK society. These nanoWatt signals are easy to jam/spoof and do not work inside buildings, under the ocean or underground. The UK Government 2018 Blackett review "Satellite-derived Time and Position: A study of Critical Dependencies" reports that the estimated loss to the UK economy due to the loss of GNSS would reach as high as £5.2Bn in five days, and therefore recommends that national security and safety critical systems should be able to operate for at least three days without satellite synchronisation. At present few atomic clocks provide sufficient timing accuracy for these applications and none at a suitable cost to be widely deployed. Resilient navigation without satellites relies on inertial navigation, dead reckoning and signals of convenience. High end inertial systems are expensive and have large size, weight, power and cost (SWaP-C) limiting their use. Our aim is to develop reduced size, weight, power and cost quantum-enhanced PNT systems that have the potential for scalable mass-manufacture using micro-fabrication and heterogeneous integration enabling integrated optical systems that can be scaled to high volume and be readily used in diverse systems to increase UK resilience and prosperity. The Hub will provide mechanisms to develop new QEPNT technologies and approaches, including community networking to facilitate technology translation to UK industry (including new start-ups) and forming technology roadmaps. Over forty UK companies and stakeholders are partnering with the Hub at the proposal stage, with significant expansion targeted through Hub activities. We will develop the next generation of QEPNT leaders; educate postdocs, students and technicians in QEPNT skills; lead outreach with UK schools and science centres to inspire children into quantum careers; engage with the public on responsible innovation of QEPNT technology to build trust in the technology; and engage with key Government stakeholders to advocate for the work. Working with science and engineering professional societies on equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) through outreach we will inspire children from primary ages upwards into science and engineering, showcasing the successful careers of Hub and advisory board members, especially those from underrepresented groups. EDI will be at the heart of the Hub and is embedded throughout the Hub governance, membership and operation.