Mission statement for the “Center for Applied Quantum Technology”
The precise measurement of physical quantities is at the heart of all natural sciences and an essential requirement as well as driving force for almost all technical progress. Sensors are detecting quantities like pressure, temperature, position, motion or acceleration, gravitation, and electric or magnetic fields. Classical sensors are constantly refined. However, similar to microelectronics, further scaling is hampered by limitations of the classical physics’ principles they are based on.
The key mission of the Center for Applied Quantum Technology is the development of novel quantum sensors to achieve landmark progress regarding their sensitivity, specificity and energy efficiency. The sensors use and combine recently developed principles of quantum physics and nano photonics. Quantum sensors do have the potential to improve sensing in two areas: One the one hand, quantum sensors are significantly more sensitive. On the other hand, quantum sensor related measurements result in atomic quantities and are, therefore, calibration free. The center is housed in a designated research building which will bring together experts from a variety of disciplines from basic physical science to electrical engineering and provides the necessary laboratory infrastructure to allow fabrication of quantum sensor materials and nanostructures as well as the test of sensors in dedicated precision labs.