Aquark, UK Royal Navy trial cold atom-based atomic clock

Quantum sensing specialist Aquark Technologies has completed a second trial of its AQlock atomic clock system, facilitated by the Disruptive Capabilities and Technologies Office (DCTO) of the UK Royal Navy. The AQlock functioned continuously aboard HMS Pursuer in the Solent area over three days, what Aquark calls an important milestone for position, navigation and timing (PNT) technology and a step forward in the mission to reduce global reliance on GNSS.

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory supported the company’s latest trial, providing time and frequency test and evaluation expertise and equipment. It 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. 

The AQlock is an industrially designed and built cold atom-based atomic clock. 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 suitable for miniaturization due to its reduced component count and power requirements when compared to alternative methods.

By demonstrating its ability to continuously operate aboard a Royal Navy vessel in rough offshore conditions, the company is moving closer to its goal to improve conventional PNT and reduce global reliance on GNSS for military operations, infrastructure, telecommunications, finance, transportation and other sectors.

The AQlock was developed with support from a Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) grant from Innovate UK.

“Ultimately, it moves us closer to a future where critical technologies can continue to operate seamlessly, even in the absence of GNSS,” said Alexander Jantzen, co-founder and COO of Aquark.