Quantum Technologies (QT) are one of the main emerging and disruptive technologies for defence. Quantum Sensing (QS) is the most mature domain and has the potential for revolutionary impact on defence operations but significant technical challenges lie ahead before operational systems can be developed.
ADEQUADE intends to provide breakthrough in three QS domains and the intended results will pave the way for the development of capabilities with significant technological, operational and strategic advantages over existing defence products or technologies in different warfare capabilities. ADEQUADE activities will be organised according to the following Technical Areas (TA):
ADEQUADE will sustain the capability, through different, potentially hybridised techniques, for any military platform, whatever the medium, to know its position, heading and timing even without access to Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS).
It will focus on radar and Electronic Warfare (EW) systems with improved capabilities in terms of sensitivity, probability of intercept, dynamic range and frequency coverage/agility. In all these cases gains of at least one order of magnitude is targeted in order to perform longer range detection/identification/classification of “small” targets.
It will focus on optronic systems with improved capabilities in terms of sensitivity and resolution. Sensitivity down to the photon counting level together with operation in evere atmospheres are targeted to perform longer range detection/identification/classification functions.
To achieve this, ADEQUADE will aim to identify and assess disruptive capability opportunities based on QS which might provide a strategic advantage in defence, develop the necessary studies and designs to demonstrate innovative quantum sensing functionalities and, finally, propose and evaluate QT based capability building and sustainment.
To this end, ADEQUADE has to activate three main enablers which are the identification of the most advantageous and disruptive quantum technologies for the considered defence domain, the existence for a quantum ecosystem of industry and academic institutions as well as the need for an EU supply chain able to design, manufacture and deploy products and related enabling technologies to meet the defence requirements of a sovereign EU.
ADEQUADE will establish a large, inclusive & industry-driven consortium to address the complete scope of the call. This consortium gathers organisations from 8 countries (France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Denmark, Poland, Latvia and Czech Republic). This project will initiate massive academic-research-industrial collaborations with superior capabilities to the benefit of all European Defence Forces and provide more accurate and effective quantum sensing solutions.
Finally, the targeted results of ADEQUADE will provide significant technological, operational and strategic advantages compared with existing defence products or technologies in different warfare.
In order to support the transformation of Quantum Technologies from science to applied engineering, ADEQUADE pursues the following objectives :
Identify new/disruptive capability opportunities which might provide a strategic advantage in defence and evaluate the breakthroughs brought by the quantum technologies developed within the project.
Develop studies and designs in order to demonstrate innovative quantum sensing functionalities for defence applications.
Propose / demonstrate / evaluate quantum technologies based capability building and sustainment.
Develop the specific enabling technologies to support the studies developed in ADEQUADE.
The ADEQUADE project is broken down into 9 technical Work Packages (WP – ranging from 4 to 12, three for each Technical Area). “Integrating Knowledge” activities (Use cases and requirements definition, technology maturation) will be implemented in a cross-cutting way across Technical Areas via two dedicated WPs (WP2, WP3). Management and coordination will be handled in WP1.
*PNT:Positioning, Navigation and Timing – *RF: Radiofrequency
• Project coordination, including internal and external reporting, contracts and financial management of funds
• Project administration to support Coordinator and partners in non-technical, non-scientific activities required for efficient management of project
• Identify operational use cases per Technological Area
• Definition of system requirements per TA
• Definition of technical specifications and objectives per TA
• Identify gaps that hinder the employment of quantum sensors in future defence products
• Identify future development needs and demonstration activities
• Assess EU capabilities regarding scientific infrastructure, supply chain and product development capability
• Define a roadmap for TRL maturation based on the technology GAPs inputs received from the different WPs and Technological Areas
• Provide feasibility study according to technical requirements and improve knowledge of quantum-technology based sensor concepts.
• Study of feasibility, development and laboratory testing of quantum sensor concepts for PNT and their key building blocks.
• Design, assembling of sub-components and performance assessment of PNT quantum sensors for defence applications
• Experimental and theoretical evaluation of quantum and enabling technologies for high sensitivity, broadband, and real time RF sensing
• Growth and test of NV diamond optimised for broadband real time RF spectrum analysis
• Assessment of quantum technologies for RF sensing
• Maturation of quantum and enabling technologies
• Improvement of RF and optical coupling techniques to the quantum sensor core
• Study and implementation of issues related to the packing of quantum sensor cores with pump, control, and readout devices
• Preparation of quantum sensor modules for testing
• Integration of quantum sensor cores with pump, control, and readout devices
• Assessment and evaluation of quantum sensors performances w.r.t to sensitivity, bandwidth, and update rate
• Demonstrate different types of quantum sensors for RF sensing (Rydberg, OPM, SQIF, NVCD) in different configurations
• Investigate performance of photon counting receivers for quantum illumination (binary problem) and quantum position finding (multiple cell)
• Improve knowledge on correlation-based passive plenoptic imaging, on super-resolution by photon statistics and on multi-parameter estimation through quantum-inspired modal decomposition to define the most relevant experimental choices
• Improve knowledge on the use of frequency conversion to improve detector sensitivity
• Experimental testbed of QGI in reflection with novel SPAD array technology • Experimental tests of CPI and PGI
• PoP experiment with high-dimensional states towards QI; Experimental quantum position finding protocol tests
• PoP experiment for super resolution imaging by photon statistics and multi-parameter estimation through modal decomposition
• PoP experiment for frequency conversion scheme for imaging and multi-parameter estimation through modal decomposition
• Development of conjugated heterodyne detection scheme, based on doubled balanced heterodyne setup, for detection of weak coherent or incoherent signals
• End-user demonstration of developed technology and methods
• Down-select the most promising technology and bring the demonstration to a further step.
• Reach a higher technology readiness level for the selected technology.
For each ADEQUADE Technical Area, the scientific progress will open the way to future disruptive defence capabilities and contribute to the expected impacts in the following topics.
ADEQUADE will establish a large, inclusive & industry-driven consortium to address the complete scope of the call. This consortium gathers organisations from 8 countries (France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Denmark, Poland, Latvia and Czech Republic). This project will initiate massive academic-research-industrial collaborations with superior capabilities to the benefit of all European Defence Forces and provide more accurate and effective quantum sensing solutions.
