QED - Quantum Enabled Detector

英国铁路网大约有3.2万公里的轨道，平均维护维修成本为15.4万英镑/公里（OfficeOfRailAndRoad），其中60%用于轨道更新。DfT和NetworkRail已经注意到，轨道更新需要挖掘现有的镇流器，这可能会损坏埋在镇流器下面或内部的管道、电缆和资产。带有隐藏障碍物的意外影响（公用事业罢工）可能导致严重的延迟，从而导致更新活动的额外成本过高。用我们的终端用户的话来说，有些铁轨已经埋在地下50多年了，没有人知道“下面是什么”。虽然铁路行业无法获得100%准确挖掘的成本节约分析，但我们之前曾被公用事业公司建议每年100万英镑。储蓄是可能的。地下测绘的主要解决方案包括电磁感应测量，这种测量依赖于高地面电导率（不适合沙子/混凝土）和探地雷达（GPR），后者在潮湿的土壤中容易受到吸收/散射效应，无法穿透金属。QED将开发一个原型系统，该系统利用基于原子自旋（量子2.0）的小型化射频量子磁力计。该技术是NPL 10年研发的结果，NPL拥有广泛的验证能力和工作桌面系统，以及射频磁强计架构的多项专利。

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.