How silicon photonics could power next-generation AI systems
For decades, modern navigation has relied heavily on GPS, but another, less visible system plays an equally essential role in helping planes, ships, smartphones and military platforms determine their position.
The Earth’s constantly changing magnetic field is the basis of the World Magnetic Model (WMM), a global reference that supports navigation systems used by billions of people every day.
Maintaining the accuracy of this model depends on reliable measurements of the magnetic field. Yet much of the satellite infrastructure used to collect this data is aging, while the field itself is evolving at an accelerating pace.
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Quantum Diamond Magnetometers
These pressures have led to the search for new technologies that can monitor the magnetic field with greater precision and frequency.
In response, the U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) launched the MagQuest Challenge in 2019, a seven-year, multimillion-dollar competition designed to identify next-generation sensing technologies.
The goal is to develop compact, highly accurate systems capable of providing continuous magnetic data, thereby reducing the need for periodic measurements and helping to ensure the long-term reliability of global navigation systems.
One of the companies emerging from this effort is SBQuantum, a Canadian company specializing in quantum sensing technology. His approach focuses on diamond quantum magnetometers, compact devices that use the principles of quantum physics to measure magnetic fields with exceptional sensitivity.
Recently, the company reached a major milestone when its sensor was put into orbit as part of the final phase of the MagQuest program. The deployment represents a step toward continuous, space-based monitoring of the Earth’s magnetic field and highlights the growing role of quantum technologies in navigation, defense and public safety.
To better understand the development of this technology, the challenges of transporting it to space, and the potential applications beyond navigation, I spoke with David Roy-Guay, founder of SBQuantum.
- Before we begin, can you give us a quick overview of what WMM is and why it is so important to us.
The World Magnetic Model (WMM) powers every electronic compass, including the one in your watch and cell phone. It is essential to keep up to date with the movements of the magnetic North Pole. It was in northern Canada and is now moving towards Siberia. This has a real impact on the accuracy of every analog and digital compass.
Every day we use WMM, just think of the blue arrow in your favorite navigation app telling you to go left or right when you exit a subway station or hotel. This directional information complements GPS, which provides location information but does not tell you which direction you are heading.
- You mentioned that the satellites that feed it with data are reaching the end of their life. What happens next?
Generally, the WMM is updated every 5 years when a new official version is released. However, recently a new update was released after just 4 years as the domain movement had picked up speed.
Once the mission of ESA’s current SWARM satellite constellation is completed, existing magnetic field maps will be of little value in 2-3 years. This means that navigation systems on board planes and drones will be significantly out of adjustment, especially in the northernmost areas, perhaps by as much as tens of degrees. I can think of an example in Alaska where recently an airstrip had to change number because it was no longer facing the same direction according to the WMM.
In comparison, our “Diamond Polaris – 1” platform will enable the continuous production of magnetic data for the WMM. This approach is much more cost effective, gathers and assembles more quickly, and provides data well suited for precise positioning.
- How does the WMM project data transform into something that can be an alternative to ubiquitous GPS?
Data collected over a year of orbit is processed and maintained by NOAA and the US NGA, to inform future versions of the WMM. Although the data is coarse, it is applicable to compass applications. Higher resolution versions can be produced by deploying multiple satellites and drones to collect data at different altitudes.
These high-resolution maps will serve as a calibration reference for navigation systems (INS systems) and could provide GPS-free positioning data with an accuracy of up to 100 m.
Our spring 2026 space launch came after years of testing and retesting with NASA and other organizations. SBQuantum’s sensor has been deemed suitable for use in space. This first space deployment is the next step on the path to making magnetic navigation widely available as an alternative to GPS that cannot be jammed or distorted.
- Your company has built something called a diamond quantum magnetometer. Why diamond and why quantum?
Being in a solid state, diamonds are exceptionally stable and provide the ideal environment to preserve quantum coherence for an extended period of time, even at room temperature. This enables highly sensitive and precise magnetic field measurements for extended satellite missions on a global scale.
In addition, the atomic structure of diamonds is well suited to measuring magnetic fields along three axes. For navigation purposes, it is essential to bring all of this together to provide directional information.
- You mentioned the size of the device (about a liter of milk – about 1 L in metric or a 10 cm cube). Does your roadmap contain smaller products? How would something “better” differ in terms of features?
We are still in the early stages of this diamond technology. One of its advantages is that it can possibly be further reduced, until it reaches the size of a matchbox, without degrading its performance.
This is not the case with conventional directional magnetometer technologies. We plan to reach this point in about 3 years, once we have brought production up to industry standards, which are of course widely used in the semiconductor industry.
- How does data captured by a quantum sensor enable “advanced interpretation algorithms” that conventional sensors simply cannot support? What other applications could these sensors have?
By building an array of directional diamond magnetometers, we can enable the interpretation of magnetic signals in real time in a way that would not otherwise be possible. For example, we can locate metallic objects underwater, in real time.
This is also true for metal objects located on the other side of a wall or underground. So we’re also looking to use this technology to support security and defense applications.
For example, this could be used to track submarines from a drone, or to increase security at sporting events, or even for security at schools and corporate events.
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