QED - Quantum Enabled Detector

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There are ~32,000km of tracks in the UK rail network, which have an average maintenance repair cost of £154k/km (OfficeOfRailAndRoad), with \>60% accounting for track renewal. DfT and NetworkRail have noted that track renewals require excavation of existing ballast, which can damage pipes, cables and assets buried under or within the ballast. Accidental impact (utility strikes) with hidden obstructions can cause significant delays, resulting in excessive additional costs to the renewal activity. In the words of our end users, some tracks have been down for \> 50yrs and no one knows "what lies beneath".Whilst cost saving analysis for 100% accurate excavations is not available for the railway industry, we have previously been advised by utility company that a \>£1Mp.a. saving is possible.Primary solutions for underground mapping include electromagnetic induction measurements that rely on high ground conductivity (unsuitable for sand/concrete) and ground penetrating radar (GPR) that is prone to absorption/scattering effects in wet soils and unable to penetrate through metals.QED will develop a prototype system that utilises a miniaturised RF quantum magnetometer, that is based on atomic spin (quantum 2.0). The technology is a result of \>10years R&D at NPL, who have extensive validation capabilities and a working desktop system, as well as several patents on RF magnetometry architectures.