UK Company Achieves First Stable Deployment of Atomic Clock on a Maritime Vessel

The world’s first stable deployment of a cold-atom-based atomic clock on a moving maritime platform has been completed. The feat was achieved by the Quantum sensing specialist Aquark Technologies while working with the Royal Navy’s Archer-class patrol vessel HMS Puncher.

The company revealed that its atomic clock system, the AQlock, functioned continuously aboard HMS Pursuer in the Solent area over three days, marking an important milestone for Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) technology and a step forward in the mission to reduce global reliance on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS).

Trial was the first of its kind

Supported by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), the trial was the first of its kind, testing the stability of Aquark’s AQlock, the UK’s first industrially designed and built cold atom-based atomic clock, when operated in open sea conditions.

Following showcasing its ability to continuously operate aboard a Royal Navy vessel in rough offshore conditions, Aquark Technologies is now closing in on its goal to improve conventional PNT and reduce global reliance on GNSS for military operations , infrastructure, telecommunications, finance, transportation, and many other sectors.

“The Royal Navy remains committed to exploring disruptive technologies that offer the potential for significant operational advantage. The outcome of this trial aligns with the UK’s sovereign capability goals and paves the way for future innovation that will enable the Royal Navy to leverage best-in-class technologies,” said Chester Butterworth, Head of Strategy, Disruptive Capabilities and Technologies Office.

“The capabilities of Aquark’s system to improve existing Position, Navigation, and Timing methods, outside of the laboratory and in harsh, remote environments, is a milestone achieved by very few systems to date.”

AQlock aims to improve conventional PNT

Developed with support from a Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) grant from Innovate UK, the AQlock aims to improve conventional PNT by transferring the stability of atoms that have been cooled to near absolute zero to a conventional oscillator to reduce long-term drift. This makes the technology capable of maintaining high precision for longer, without the usual required correction from GNSS, augmenting existing timing capabilities.

“Dstl is pleased to have played a pivotal role in supporting Aquark and the Royal Navy in trialling this emerging technology,” said Dr Matthew Aldous, Principal Quantum Scientist.

“There is huge potential for quantum systems to unlock future capability, and rigorous testing in deployed environments is key to understanding the right applications for them. As these tools progress in maturity and ruggedness, we look forward to further opportunities to bring them to bear on real challenges faced by defense and security personnel.”

Technology highly robust, portable, and more affordable

The UK-based company highlighted that the technology is underpinned by the supermolasses trap, a unique method of trapping atoms pioneered by Aquark that makes the technology highly robust, portable, and more affordable. The technology is ideal for miniaturization due to its reduced component count and power requirements when compared to alternative methods.

“Coastal Forces Squadron is delighted to have taken part in trialing this unique technology. P2000 Inshore Patrol Vessels are an ideal platform to provide the challenging at-sea conditions required to put systems to the test,” said Commander Carla Higgins, MBE, Commanding Officer Coastal Forces Squadron.

“The team in HMS Pursuer appreciates the exposure to such new equipment and the opportunity to learn about the technology which will contribute to the UK’s capabilities of the future.”

Reports have revealed that such innovations offer an accurate time signal, allowing the ship’s complex combat systems to synchronize if the more conventional GPS signal fails.