- Capability group
- Quantum Technologies
- Domain
- Critical Technology · Hard Power
- Identifier
- factbase.org/cap/VMXVW59Y0T
- Reference
- Quantum sensor Wikipedia
Papers
9.3k
2020–2024
Paper growth
+104%
2020–24 on 2015–19
Patent families
1.6k
2020–2024
Filed abroad
41%
families in more than one office
What it covers
What the capability covers and what it leaves to others, and the indicators it will be measured by.
Bounds
Covers the quantum sensing frontier; its fielded applications read under Sensing, Timing & Navigation and the defence capabilities they serve, classified by technology here and by employment there.
Lineage
Carried from v0.0 (formerly Quantum sensors) with the same identifier; broadened to metrology and recast from device definition to measurement capacity.
Indicators
- research publication share in quantum sensingResearch
- quantum sensing patent familiesPatents
Who publishes it
Papers classified to the capability, by year and by the nation of their authors' institutions, 2020–2024. Read from the v0.0 research topic Quantum sensors.
Papers by year
The five leading nations, papers by year
Share of papers, 2020–2024
Of papers with a known author nation; 48% have none and are left out.
- 1United States18.8%1,097 papers
- 2China18.6%1,085 papers
- 3Germany7.9%461 papers
- 4United Kingdom5.9%346 papers
- 5France4.6%270 papers
- 6Japan4.3%254 papers
- 7Italy4.1%240 papers
- 8Russia3.0%173 papers
- 9India2.9%170 papers
- 10Australia2.6%152 papers
Leading institutions, 2020–2024
By fractional count: each paper divided among its authors' institutions.
- 1National Institute of Standards and Technology67fractional papers
- 2Chinese Academy of Sciences57fractional papers
- 3University of Science and Technology of China54fractional papers
- 4Peking University50fractional papers
- 5Leibniz University Hannover46fractional papers
- 6Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt35fractional papers
- 7University of Colorado Boulder33fractional papers
- 8Massachusetts Institute of Technology29fractional papers
- 9Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique29fractional papers
- 10California Institute of Technology27fractional papers
Who patents it
Patent families by the nation of origin of their applicants and their earliest priority year, from the CPC and IPC classes the capability is read from. 2025 onwards is incomplete: families are published 18 months after priority.
Families by priority year
The five leading origins, families by year
876 applicants filed here in 2015–2024; the five largest held 12% of families (HHI 59 of 10,000: unconcentrated).
Share of families by origin, 2020–2024
- 1China40.8%653 families
- 2United States17.8%285 families
- 3Germany15.3%245 families
- 4Japan12.2%195 families
- 5South Korea2.2%35 families
- 6United Kingdom2.1%34 families
- 7France1.8%29 families
- 8Switzerland1.4%23 families
- 9Israel1.2%20 families
- 10Canada0.9%14 families
Applicants filing most internationally, 2015–2024
Families filed in more than one office, by applicant as the offices name them.
- 1SEIKO EPSON CORP77international families
- 2BOSCH GMBH ROBERT54international families
- 3UNIV KYOTO37international families
- 4NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORP34international families
- 5HONEYWELL INT INC31international families
- 6TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INC26international families
- 7COMMISSARIAT ENERGIE ATOMIQUE25international families
- 8HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS KK24international families
- 9RICOH CO LTD24international families
- 10ROBERT BOSCH CO LTD21international families
Classification read
- G01R33/035 Superconducting magnetometers (SQUIDs) · 4.6k documents
- G01R33/26 Optically pumped magnetometers · 3.7k documents
- G01R33/323 Optically detected magnetic resonance, e.g. diamond defect sensors · 1.6k documents
- G01C19/60 Atomic-spin and magnetic-resonance gyroscopes · 896 documents
- G04F5/14 Atomic clocks · 4.7k documents
- H03L7/26 Atomic frequency standards · 3.4k documents
Shares inventions with
Capabilities whose classes the same families also fall in, by overlap (Jaccard).
- Precision Timing & Atomic Clocks388 families · 0.108
- Quantum Computing142 families · 0.020
- Resilient Positioning & Navigation109 families · 0.012
- Quantum Communication15 families · 0.005
- Superconducting, Magnetic & Photonic Materials43 families · 0.003
Who makes it
The companies that research, design, make, supply and operate the technology, the global leaders and the leading firms of every region.
50 companies in this capability, from 17 nations across 6 regions. Sorted by how experts see each company's global relevance in the field, from very high to very low.
- Very high2 companies
- 1Very highComponents & subsystemsCharlotteUnited States1906102kHON
Honeywell Aerospace develops cold-atom and quantum inertial sensors for GPS-denied navigation and holds major international patent filings in atomic sensing, and it is also the majority owner of Quantinuum.
Very high relevance · Components & subsystems · United States, Charlotte · founded 1906 · 102k staff
- 2Very highComponents & subsystemsChandlerUnited States198919kMCHP
Microchip's frequency and time systems unit is the leading maker of commercial chip-scale atomic clocks (CSAC), cesium beam standards and hydrogen masers used in defence, telecoms and metrology.
Very high relevance · Components & subsystems · United States, Chandler · founded 1989 · 19k staff
- High13 companies
- 3HighSystems integrationFalls ChurchUnited States193997kNOC
Northrop Grumman developed the nuclear magnetic resonance gyroscope and other atomic inertial sensors, and is among the top international patent applicants in quantum sensing.
High relevance · Systems integration · United States, Falls Church · founded 1939 · 97k staff
- 4HighComponents & subsystemsParisFrance2005100kSAF
Safran's Orolia business, including Spectratime, which it acquired in 2022, makes rubidium and passive hydrogen maser atomic clocks for Galileo and resilient timing systems.
High relevance · Components & subsystems · France, Paris · founded 2005 · 100k staff
- 5HighHardware & devicesParisFrance––EXA
Exail, which absorbed Muquans, sells the Absolute Quantum Gravimeter and cold-atom quantum inertial sensors, the first commercial cold-atom gravimetry products.
High relevance · Hardware & devices · France, Paris
- 6HighHardware & devicesBoulderUnited States2007–INFQ
Infleqtion, formerly ColdQuanta, builds neutral-atom optical clocks (Tiqker), quantum RF receivers and inertial sensors, and listed on the NYSE in February 2026.
High relevance · Hardware & devices · United States, Boulder · founded 2007
- 7HighHardware & devicesCollege ParkUnited States2015–IONQ
IonQ acquired Vector Atomic in 2025, bringing in its compact optical atomic clocks and atom-interferometer sensors that have been flown and fielded for US defence programmes.
High relevance · Hardware & devices · United States, College Park · founded 2015
- 8HighSoftware & platformsSydneyAustralia2017––
Q-CTRL's Ironstone Opal quantum magnetic navigation system has been field-validated in air, land and sea trials as a GPS alternative, and the company is also developing quantum gravimetry.
High relevance · Software & platforms · Australia, Sydney · founded 2017
- 9HighComponents & subsystemsHamamatsuJapan1953–6965
Hamamatsu supplies photodetectors, lasers and optically pumped magnetometer components for quantum sensing, owns NKT Photonics, and is a leading Japanese patent applicant in the field.
High relevance · Components & subsystems · Japan, Hamamatsu · founded 1953
- 10HighEquipment & machinerySan DiegoUnited States1982–Private
Quantum Design's SQUID-based MPMS magnetometers and PPMS platforms are standard instruments for quantum-limited magnetic metrology in materials laboratories worldwide.
High relevance · Equipment & machinery · United States, San Diego · founded 1982
- 11HighComponents & subsystemsFremontUnited States––Private
AOSense builds cold-atom interferometric gravimeters, gyroscopes and compact atomic clocks under US defence and NASA contracts.
High relevance · Components & subsystems · United States, Fremont
- 12HighComponents & subsystemsLouisvilleUnited States––Private
QuSpin is the dominant supplier of compact zero-field optically pumped magnetometers used in wearable OPM-MEG brain imaging systems.
High relevance · Components & subsystems · United States, Louisville
- 13HighAdvanced materialsLondonUnited Kingdom1946–Private
Element Six, part of the De Beers Group, is the main supplier of quantum-grade synthetic CVD diamond with engineered NV centres for diamond quantum sensors.
High relevance · Advanced materials · United Kingdom, London · founded 1946
- 14HighEquipment & machineryGräfelfingGermany1998–Private
TOPTICA supplies the narrow-linewidth diode lasers and laser systems used in optical atomic clocks, atom interferometers and cold-atom sensors.
High relevance · Equipment & machinery · Germany, Gräfelfing · founded 1998
- 15HighEquipment & machineryPlaneggGermany2001–Private
Menlo Systems, founded on Nobel-winning frequency-comb work, makes optical frequency combs and ultrastable lasers for optical clocks and precision metrology.
High relevance · Equipment & machinery · Germany, Planegg · founded 2001
- Moderate20 companies
- 16ModerateComponents & subsystemsGerlingenGermany1886418kPrivate
Bosch Quantum Sensing develops NV-diamond magnetometers and gyroscopes for automotive, medical and navigation use, and Bosch is the second-largest international patent applicant in this capability.
Moderate relevance · Components & subsystems · Germany, Gerlingen · founded 1886 · 418k staff
- 17ModerateHardware & devicesSuwa, NaganoJapan194274k6724
Epson is the largest international patent applicant in this capability, with filings on atomic oscillators, quantum interference devices and magnetometers built on its timing-device business.
Moderate relevance · Hardware & devices · Japan, Suwa, Nagano · founded 1942 · 74k staff
- 18ModerateSoftware & platformsPalo AltoUnited States2022––
SandboxAQ's AQNav combines quantum magnetometers with AI for magnetic-anomaly navigation and has been trialled on US Air Force and commercial aircraft.
Moderate relevance · Software & platforms · United States, Palo Alto · founded 2022
- 19ModerateSystems integrationBeijingChina2002–State-owned
China Electronics Technology Group (CETC)CETC's research institutes develop atomic clocks, quantum magnetometers and quantum radar and precision navigation sensors for China's military and space programmes.
Moderate relevance · Systems integration · China, Beijing · founded 2002
- 20ModerateSystems integrationBeijingChina1999180kState-ownedChina Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC)
CASC's institutes build the spaceborne rubidium clocks and passive hydrogen masers for BeiDou and are developing space cold-atom clocks.
Moderate relevance · Systems integration · China, Beijing · founded 1999 · 180k staff
- 21ModerateEquipment & machineryHefeiChina2016–Private
CIQTEK (Guoyi Quantum), a USTC spin-off, sells NV-diamond quantum magnetometers, quantum diamond microscopes and quantum-based EPR/ODMR instruments.
Moderate relevance · Equipment & machinery · China, Hefei · founded 2016
- 22ModerateHardware & devicesThousand OaksUnited States196015kTDY
Teledyne e2v leads UK cold-atom quantum sensing and timing projects such as the miniature atomic clock and gravimeter programmes, alongside Teledyne Scientific's quantum sensing work.
Moderate relevance · Hardware & devices · United States, Thousand Oaks · founded 1960 · 15k staff
- 23ModerateSystems integrationParisFrance189383kHO
Thales Research & Technology develops NV-diamond and SQUID-array RF sensors and cold-atom inertial sensors for defence navigation and detection.
Moderate relevance · Systems integration · France, Paris · founded 1893 · 83k staff
- 24ModerateHardware & devicesHuntsvilleUnited States1985–ADTN
Adtran Holdings (Oscilloquartz)Adtran's Swiss subsidiary Oscilloquartz makes optically pumped cesium clocks and network timing reference systems for telecoms metrology.
Moderate relevance · Hardware & devices · United States, Huntsville · founded 1985
- 25ModerateSystems integrationRomeItaly194860kLDO
Leonardo builds the passive hydrogen maser atomic clocks that serve as primary clocks on Galileo satellites, and runs a quantum technologies programme.
Moderate relevance · Systems integration · Italy, Rome · founded 1948 · 60k staff
- 26ModerateComponents & subsystemsMitchel FieldUnited States1961–FEIM
Frequency Electronics makes space-qualified rubidium atomic frequency standards and is developing quantum sensing products such as magnetometers for defence.
Moderate relevance · Components & subsystems · United States, Mitchel Field · founded 1961
- 27ModerateEquipment & machineryAbingdonUnited Kingdom1959–OXIG
Oxford Instruments provides cryostats, superconducting magnets and measurement systems used for SQUID and other quantum sensing and metrology research.
Moderate relevance · Equipment & machinery · United Kingdom, Abingdon · founded 1959
- 28ModerateHardware & devicesTokyoJapan1936–7752
Ricoh develops biomagnetic measurement systems (MEG/MSG) and optically pumped magnetometers and is a top-10 international patent applicant in quantum sensing.
Moderate relevance · Hardware & devices · Japan, Tokyo · founded 1936
- 29ModerateEquipment & machineryMuttenzSwitzerland2017––
Qnami's ProteusQ is a commercial scanning NV-diamond quantum microscope for nanoscale magnetic imaging of materials and devices.
Moderate relevance · Equipment & machinery · Switzerland, Muttenz · founded 2017
- 30ModerateHardware & devicesSan JoseUnited States1969–Private
Geometrics, a subsidiary of Japan's OYO Corporation, is a leading maker of optically pumped cesium vapour magnetometers for geophysical survey and UXO detection.
Moderate relevance · Hardware & devices · United States, San Jose · founded 1969
- 31ModerateComponents & subsystemsPlainsboroUnited States––Private
Twinleaf makes SERF and optically pumped atomic magnetometers, gyroscopes and magnetic shields for research and navigation.
Moderate relevance · Components & subsystems · United States, Plainsboro
- 32ModerateHardware & devicesBoulderUnited States–––
FieldLine, a NIST spin-off, builds optically pumped magnetometer arrays and the HEDscan OPM-MEG system for clinical brain imaging.
Moderate relevance · Hardware & devices · United States, Boulder
- 33ModerateHardware & devicesMarkhamCanada1980–Private
GEM Systems makes Overhauser and potassium optically pumped magnetometers used in geophysics, observatories and airborne survey.
Moderate relevance · Hardware & devices · Canada, Markham · founded 1980
- 34ModerateEquipment & machineryHelsinkiFinland2008–Private
Bluefors is the leading supplier of dilution refrigerators that cool superconducting quantum sensors, including SQUIDs, TES and SNSPD detectors and quantum-limited amplifiers.
Moderate relevance · Equipment & machinery · Finland, Helsinki · founded 2008
- 35ModerateComponents & subsystemsDelftNetherlands2012–Private
Single Quantum makes superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors used for quantum-limited photon counting in quantum optics, lidar and metrology.
Moderate relevance · Components & subsystems · Netherlands, Delft · founded 2012
- Low13 companies
- 36LowComponents & subsystemsOsakaJapan1897–5802
Sumitomo Electric grows high-purity synthetic diamond with controlled NV centres for quantum magnetic sensors and works with Japanese universities on diamond sensing.
Low relevance · Components & subsystems · Japan, Osaka · founded 1897
- 37LowComponents & subsystemsSherbrookeCanada–––
SBQuantum makes diamond vector quantum magnetometers for navigation and threat detection and is a finalist in the US MagQuest space magnetometer challenge.
Low relevance · Components & subsystems · Canada, Sherbrooke
- 38LowComponents & subsystemsChengduChina––002935
Spaceon (Tianao Electronics) is a listed Chinese maker of rubidium atomic clocks and time-frequency systems used in BeiDou and telecoms timing.
Low relevance · Components & subsystems · China, Chengdu
- 39LowResearch & IPSouthamptonUnited Kingdom2021––
Aquark develops laser-cooling cold-atom platforms without vacuum-pump complexity for portable atomic clocks and quantum inertial sensors.
Low relevance · Research & IP · United Kingdom, Southampton · founded 2021
- 40LowHardware & devicesNottinghamUnited Kingdom2020––
Cerca Magnetics, a University of Nottingham spin-out, sells turnkey wearable OPM-MEG brain-scanning systems with magnetic shielding.
Low relevance · Hardware & devices · United Kingdom, Nottingham · founded 2020
- 41LowEquipment & machineryMunichGermany–––
Quantum Diamonds, a TU Munich spin-off, builds NV-diamond quantum microscopes for non-destructive failure analysis of semiconductor chips.
Low relevance · Equipment & machinery · Germany, Munich
- 42LowEquipment & machineryZurichSwitzerland–––
QZabre, an ETH Zurich spin-off, sells scanning NV magnetometry probes and instruments for nanoscale magnetic metrology.
Low relevance · Equipment & machinery · Switzerland, Zurich
- 43LowHardware & devicesMelbourneAustralia–––
Nomad Atomics, an ANU spin-out, develops field-deployable cold-atom gravimeters, magnetometers and clocks for mining and defence, and raised AUD 12 million.
Low relevance · Hardware & devices · Australia, Melbourne
- 44LowHardware & devicesAdelaideAustralia201640–
QuantX Labs commercialises University of Adelaide cryogenic sapphire oscillators and optical clocks for radar, timing and Australian defence.
Low relevance · Hardware & devices · Australia, Adelaide · founded 2016 · 40 staff
- 45LowComponents & subsystemsJerusalemIsrael1993–Private
AccuBeat makes rubidium atomic clocks and atomic sensors for the Israel Defense Forces and export customers, and supplied an atomic clock unit to ESA for Galileo.
Low relevance · Components & subsystems · Israel, Jerusalem · founded 1993
- 46LowResearch & IPSingaporeSingapore2018––
Atomionics develops cold-atom interferometry sensors for GPS-free navigation and resource exploration, backed by Singapore's defence investment arm Cap Vista.
Low relevance · Research & IP · Singapore, Singapore · founded 2018
- 47LowComponents & subsystemsNizhny NovgorodRussia––Private
Vremya-CH is Russia's main maker of active hydrogen masers and rubidium frequency standards used in time-scale metrology, radio astronomy and GLONASS ground segments.
Low relevance · Components & subsystems · Russia, Nizhny Novgorod
- 48LowComponents & subsystemsBoulderUnited States–––
Mesa Quantum develops chip-scale atomic clocks and quantum sensors for position, navigation and timing, and raised an $11.8M round led by Playground Global.
Low relevance · Components & subsystems · United States, Boulder
- Very low2 companies
- 49Very lowSystems integrationAnkaraTürkiye197511kASELS
ASELSAN runs the KUANTAL quantum research laboratory to bring quantum sensing into Turkish defence systems and works on quantum magnetometers for submarine detection under Turkey's national quantum programme.
Very low relevance · Systems integration · Türkiye, Ankara · founded 1975 · 11k staff
- 50Very lowHardware & devicesBengaluruIndia2023––
QuBeats won a Rs 25 crore iDEX ADITI 2.0 grant to build a quantum positioning system for the Indian Navy and holds DRDO contracts for a Rydberg quantum RF sensor and a quantum gyroscope.
Very low relevance · Hardware & devices · India, Bengaluru · founded 2023
