Robust All-Optical Solid-State Magnetometer for Space

Magnetometers are key components of space missions, used for navigation and orientation, sensing planetary magnetic fields and other functions. State-of-art (SOA) magnetometers like fluxgates and helium vector magnetometers have been essential for space exploration and scientific missions, providing valuable data about magnetic fields in space and on planets. They have significantly enhanced our understanding of the solar system's evolution. Magnetometers also play a crucial role in attitude sensing and magnetic geological mapping. Quantum sensors, particularly for magnetometry, have been ranked by NASA (i.e., NASA Civil Space Shortfalls Item #1599) as a promising technology for future space and aviation missions. Systems are highly desired that are simple, ultracompact, highly sensitive, resistant to drift, and stable and robust under swings of temperature (-50 to 250C), radiation and platform noise and vibration. We identify optimal conditions for low-field all-optical diamond nitrogen vacancy (DNV) sensing compared to conventional optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) techniques, enabling new applications using all-optical (AO) measurements with less system complexity, size, weight, and power (SWaP). This approach is attractive due to broad sample compatibility, reduced experimental complexity, and inherent robustness to high temperature and radiation. Our AO diode-based vector magnetometer uses no lasers, no microwaves and no signal generators. Its sensitivity (<20 pT/rtHz), accuracy (<1 nT) bandwidth (>500 Hz) and dynamic range (+/- 100 uT) competes with current fluxgates, but with simpler design in smaller footprint (volume < 1 liter, mass < 1 kg and power < 0.5W) that self-calibrates a tri-axial vector measurement based on DNV hyperfine splitting, providing long-term stability. This approach simplifies the system, mitigates need for multiple independent sensors and booms, and resets the engineering trade between magnetometer performance and SWaP.

An ultracompact, low power and highly sensitive magnetometer that is robust to temperature, radiation, and platform environmental noise and vibration is valuable for a variety of space missions. Magnetometers can measure both direction and strength of planetary and interplanetary magnetic fields. Applications include scientific observation of the space environment for study of solar weather and the dynamics of the magnetosphere of the Earth, planets and other celestial bodies. Magnetic fields in orbit are also used to orient spacecraft and assist in navigation. Work is currently needed to improve sensitivities to compete with state-of-practice technologies and to design vector magnetic field capabilities. The proposed system is anticipated to provide high sensitivity comparable to currently used devices, but in smaller form factors, at lower power and with greater resistance to environmental conditions during space missions. These benefits will enable greater design flexibility for future space missions by making better use of precious volume and mass, improving overall mission survivability and success, extending mission life, mitigating the need for in-space repair and replacement and enhancing safety of human mission teams. Commercial and National Security Customers share a high interest in ultra-compact magnetometer systems that provide an optimal balance of low size, weight, and power (SWaP), sensitivity, bandwidth, and robustness, so they can be used in field applications that may expose them to extreme environments and various sources of interference. For space applications, an additional premium is placed on magnetometer simplicity, stable operation under widely varying conditions of temperature and radiation, and long lifespan, since in-space repairs often present extraordinary or insurmountable challenges. The global magnetometer market was valued at $2.2 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach $4.2 billion by 2032. Capturing a small fraction of the market for rugged, field-operable magnetometers promises a market for Quantum Catalyzer in the tens of millions of dollars per year. Our project will advance the commercialization of ultracompact, all-optical solid-state quantum magnetometers, focusing initially on Space applications. Through previous work by Quantum Catalyzer with quantum magnetometers, we anticipate there are significant additional national security and commercial applications beyond the Space domain. Specifically, we will focus on the creation of highly sensitive and robust quantum magnetometers with impressive power efficiency in small packages, that can be ruggedized for integration with a range of mobile applications. These include use on moving platforms such as helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, spacecraft, and surface and undersea vehicles. The advancement of these robust quantum magnetometers will also include applications with monitoring heavy equipment use for mining and agriculture and fixed installations such as industrial fabrication and power plants, where continuously monitoring magnetic fields is critical to ensuring safety, control, and performance.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.