Insider Brief
- Quantum Computing Inc. announced the release of its Quantum Photonic Vibrometer, or QPV.
- The device is an instrument for remote vibration detection, sensing and inspection.
- It can be used for material recognition, enhanced surveillance, infrastructure integrity and preventive industrial maintenance.
PRESS RELEASE — Quantum Computing Inc. (“QCi” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: QUBT), a first-to-market nanophotonic-based quantum technology company, today announced the release of its first-in-a-series Quantum Photonic Vibrometer (QPV), a proprietary, powerful instrument for remote vibration detection, sensing and inspection. This device is the first quantum accelerated photonics vibrometer available in the market today and offers significant advancements in sensitivity, speed, and resolution, capable of discerning for the first time, highly obscured and non-line-of-sight objects. Military and commercial applications are numerous in the areas of material recognition, enhanced surveillance, infrastructure integrity and preventive industrial maintenance – all at safe distances and requiring minimal energy/optical power. Beginning today, QCi is accepting orders. Additional detailed information regarding the Quantum Photonic Vibrometer can be found on the QCi website here.
Dr. William McGann, QCi Chief Operating and Technology Officer commented, “We developed the QPV as a response to a gap in the market and a serious need expressed by our customers. The capacity of optical detection and imaging technology is continually expanding to keep pace with emerging and evolving sensing needs. In particular, the desire to see around corners and through obstructions underwater, underground and airborne with sufficient resolution and accuracy is valuable for autonomous technology and machine vision when direct line-of-sight is not possible, or split-second decision-making is needed for preemptive safety measures. As part of our large quantum photonic detection and ranging business unit, our tech-readiness was quick to develop a vital device capable of generating accurate and clear data of highly obscured and non-line-of-sight objects from a safe distance with the ability to locate hidden objects by their natural vibrational frequencies or responding acoustic signals.”
The Quantum Photonic Vibrometer is a proprietary, first of its kind system to leverage the power of single-photon detection—as perfected by our quantum efforts—to offer significant benefits over current vibrometer systems and applications available today. The first version of the QPV measures the vibration frequency of a remote target by utilizing fast-gated single photon counting to directly detect returning photons whose wavefunctions are dynamically modulated as they are reflected off the target. This is in contrast to optical coherence tomograph or related methods, where a local reference beam and optical interference measurement is needed, thus unable to reach single photon sensitivity. The QPV eliminates background noise and isolates the specific characteristics of a target object, enables the system to interrogate the material properties of a target at various depths and can provide both surface characteristics as well as volumetric information. Also, counting photons at a megahertz rate, important properties such as material composition and mechanical integrity can be determined within seconds and, depending on detection distance, with microwatt to milliwatt optical power. Working at an eye-safe wavelength, QPV can accurately characterize the vibration spectra of solid or liquid targets with vibration amplitude as small as 100 nanometers. The QPV can remotely sense through obscured media or around the corner where there is no line of sight, implying new capabilities in remote sensing, voice recognition, and ex vivo diagnostics.
The QPV is much faster and more sensitive than other vibrometers currently available. It collects and delivers significantly more data and distinguishing characteristics on each target, such as material type or specific metal, distance and altitude, volume or size of the target, reconstruction of a voice or sound, as well as detection and tracking anomalies. This level of information accuracy and detail can advance military, commercial and humanitarian applications in several known challenged areas today, including remote landmine detection, audio surveillance and remote voice retrieval, archeological mapping, material recognition from specific metals to plastics, metal fatigue and structural integrity of bridges, buildings, power plants, airplanes, and transportation fleets. Remarkably, QCi’s proprietary QPV offers safer surveillance and detection by delivering data from farther distances, around corners, through environmental impediments including underwater or obscured media including tinted glass, and in hazardous conditions. The QPV is offered as a stand-alone device or can easily be integrated with other products for enhanced capabilities.
Dr. McGann continued, “The QPV’s most important job is to sense something that could be obscured and communicate info/intel about it – without having to be physically near it. In its initial launch, the QCi QPV-1.0 system offering performs at an impressive level, however, we have plans for further optimization. The product development roadmap will provide a clear path for continuous advancement of the core technology and product from today’s version using discrete quantum optics and non-linear optical components to an integrated “System on Chip” design. Enhanced applications will follow from improving sensitivity, resolution and speed (of detection) afforded by these advancements and will translate into enhanced product platform capabilities. Subsequent versions will offer advances in remote sensing that reach significantly greater distances, minimize device footprint and weight, and optimize data gathering in increasingly challenging environmental conditions (underground, underwater and at high altitudes affixed to a drone, plane or spaceship).”
“The launch of QCi’s Quantum Photonic Vibrometer demonstrates the breadth of our developing product line. By leveraging our core competency, we achieve high speed, single photon sensitivity, and strong noise rejection that enables us to develop innovative and cost-effective quantum solutions for remote sensing applications able to overcome challenging operational environments, such as long distance, low visibility, and interfering background. Essentially, we are creating a new class of highly sensitive instruments to detect and gather valuable information on target objects or environments from extended distances. It is our goal that the QPV-series will achieve best-in-class status for size, weight, performance, cost-effectiveness and be recognized as the world’s longest-range and most sensitive vibrometer product line in the market,” commented Robert Liscouski, CEO of Quantum Computing Inc. “As QCi continues to develop and launch new products, it is important to note that an underlying core objective of our team is to deliver products and services of the highest integrity, powered by quantum, for the advancement of solutions to benefit the greatest good. Based on my experience during my tenure as the Assistant Secretary for Infrastructure Protection at the Department of Homeland Security, the QPV addresses needs across the private infrastructure domain. Uses ranging from assessing the integrity of bridges, dams, pipelines and other critical infrastructure that make the ability to find weaknesses and potential failure points a scalable possibility that could save lives and avoid hundreds of millions of dollars in losses from unknown failures.”
For additional information on the company’s suite of solutions, please visit the QCI website.
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