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Stealth quantum sensors unlock possibilities anywhere GPS doesn’t work

As commercial interest in quantum technologies accelerates, entrepreneurial minds at the University of Waterloo are not waiting for opportunities—they are creating them.

Among them is Alex Maierean (MMath ‘24), CEO of Phantom Photonics and part-time Ph.D. student at the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC). Her startup is developing ultra-sensitive quantum sensors that can filter out background noise and detect the faintest signals, even down to a single photon—the smallest unit of light. This offers new levels of precision and stealth for industries operating in extreme environments, from the depths of the ocean to outer space.

Launched in 2023, the Velocity startup emerged from fundamental research at an IQC lab led by Dr. Thomas Jennewein, IQC affiliate and adjunct faculty in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. Today, the startup is based at Velocity where it has established a dedicated lab space to continue to develop its quantum sensor technology and build its core team.

Bioinspired phototransistor achieves high-sensitivity detection of low-contrast targets

Drawing inspiration from the remarkable adaptability of the human eye, researchers from the Institute of Metal Research (IMR) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have developed a novel phototransistor with tunable sensitivity.

This breakthrough provides an efficient solution for detecting low-contrast targets in complex visual environments, which is a critical challenge for advanced machine vision systems in applications such as precision guidance and smart surveillance.

The results are published in Light: Science & Applications.

Mystery Solved? Fast Radio Bursts Linked to Orbiting Stellar Companions

Astronomers have found compelling evidence that at least some fast radio bursts originate from stars in binary systems rather than from isolated objects. An international group of astronomers, including a researcher from the Department of Physics at The University of Hong Kong (HKU), has identifi

Scientists Say a Major Quantum Computing Breakthrough Was Not What It Seemed

Replication is a cornerstone of science, yet even in the natural sciences, attempts to reproduce results do not always succeed. Quantum computing promises machines that can solve certain problems far beyond today’s computers, but it faces a stubborn obstacle: quantum information is extremely frag

This Quantum Breakthrough Could Change How Materials Are Made

Scientists have shown that it may be possible to transform materials simply by triggering internal quantum ripples rather than blasting them with intense light. Imagine being able to change what a material is capable of simply by shining light on it. That idea may sound like something out of s

The World’s Longest-Running Lab Experiment Is Almost 100 Years Old

Sometimes science can be painfully slow. Data comes in dribs and drabs, truth trickles, and veracity proves viscous.

The world’s longest-running lab experiment is an ongoing work in sheer scientific patience. It has been running continuously for nearly a century, under the close supervision of several custodians and many spectators – and it’s ever so slowly drip, drip, dripping away.

It all started in 1927, when physicist Thomas Parnell at the University of Queensland in Australia filled a closed funnel with the world’s thickest known fluid: pitch, a derivative of tar that was once used to seal ships against the seas.

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