Q.ANT is a high-tech start-up in the field of quantum technology and was founded in 2018 as part of the TRUMPF Group. Q.ANT's vision is to improve the quality of how machines perceive their environment, how people process information and the way we think. To this end, Q.ANT develops quantum sensors and quantum computer chips based on the Quantum Photonic Framework developed by Q.ANT. With its four product lines Photonic Computing, Particle Metrology, Atomic Gyroscopes and Magnetic Sensing, Q.ANT is a partner for a wide range of industries and fields of application, from medical technology and autonomous driving to aerospace, mechanical engineering and process technology. Q.ANT currently employs around 60 people at its headquarters in Stuttgart.

Q.ANT recently introduced the quantum magnetometer for the field of magnetic sensing. According to Q.ANT, it enables the precise measurement of the smallest magnetic fields in the range of 300 picotesla at room temperature. The technology is based on the principles of quantum physics and the use of nitrogen vacancies (NV) in diamonds. In addition to measuring extremely small magnetic fields with high accuracy and high spatial resolution, the NV magnetometer detects even very weak changes in the magnetic field to be measured, even with strong background fields. In addition to the magnetic field strength, the Q.ANT magnetometer also records the magnetic field direction, which allows conclusions to be drawn about the location of the magnetic field source, for example.

According to Q.ANT, this technology opens up numerous potential applications in science and industry. Specific applications can be found, for example, in prosthetics through the locally resolved measurement of muscle signals to control prostheses and exoskeletons and in medical technology for the early detection of brain diseases as well as the localized measurement of neuronal brain activity for new types of human-machine interactions. Another area of application is component and material analysis, for example battery and control cabinet testing, circuit board analysis or the detection of defects in the material structure. There are also potential applications in geophysics, materials science and nanotechnology as well as in the automotive and mobility sectors.

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