Magnetics Business & Technology - September/October 2020 - 19
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
"The high-level motivation," said Bedford, "is that when we don't
have GPS - and most people agree that if we have a major war,
the GPS is going down - we need a different way to navigate."
Some alternatives such as star-finders or looking at ground
features have obvious limitations. For example, the stars are not
visible during the day. The best alternative would be to navigate
by sensing Earth's magnetic field.
The magnetic field in question is not the "core field"; that is, the
field generated by Earth's iron core. It is the "crustal field." The
core field is constantly in flux. The north and south magnetic
poles both wander over time. The crustal field, in contrast, is
consistent and, in Bedford's words, "impossible to spoof."
"There is more information in the crustal field," said Bedford. "The
information is also static, unlike the core field, which changes
over time. The crustal field is of a much lower magnitude, however."
ing classical materials," said Bedford, "you have to be constantly
recalibrating the instruments. In quantum systems there is no
need to recalibrate; there is no drift over time. You will always
have an absolute measurement."
But quantum
systems have
yet another
benefit over
classical
systems. "The
instruments
would also be
more compact
than those
using classical
techniques,"
said Bedford.
Quantum materials can provide that type of resolution.
Although AFRL
Major components of Earth's magnetic field
is not working
include the stronger core field, shown here, and
on a prototype
the crustal field. The core field is stronger but
in-house, it is
varies slowly over time.
funding the
Massachusetts
Institute of
Technology Lincoln Laboratory, which is working on a magnetometer prototype. "They are expecting to demonstrate a prototype device within the next year or so," said electronics engineer
Dr. Michael Slocum.
Quantum materials provide another clear advantage. "When us-
For more info, visit: www.afresearchlab.com
That is why more sensitive detecting instruments are needed, the
kind made possible with quantum materials.
"If you can get high enough resolution magnetic field sensors,"
said Bedford, "you can take a known map of the magnetic fields
of an area, then sense the magnetic fields of your present location and use the comparison to determine your exact location
and what direction you're going."
www.MagneticsMag.com
September/October 2020 * Magnetics Business & Technology
19
https://afresearchlab.com/
https://www.metrolab.com/
http://www.MagneticsMag.com
Magnetics Business & Technology - September/October 2020
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Magnetics Business & Technology - September/October 2020
Magnetics Business & Technology - September/October 2020
Editor’s Choice/ Features
Paramagnetic Sensors from Hummingbird at the Heart of Respiratory Ventilators Battling Covid-19
Highly Permeable Ferrite Enables 3D Cube Antennas from Neosid for 6DoF Tracking
Embedding Magnetics Achieves Reliability & Consistency, Part 1 of 3
Tech Tips
Research & Development
US Air Force Investigates Using Quantum Materials in New Navigation Tool
Product News
Industry News
Events Calendar/ Advertising Index
Visions
Magnetics Business & Technology - September/October 2020 - Magnetics Business & Technology - September/October 2020
Magnetics Business & Technology - September/October 2020 - Cover2
Magnetics Business & Technology - September/October 2020 - 3
Magnetics Business & Technology - September/October 2020 - Editor’s Choice/ Features
Magnetics Business & Technology - September/October 2020 - 5
Magnetics Business & Technology - September/October 2020 - Paramagnetic Sensors from Hummingbird at the Heart of Respiratory Ventilators Battling Covid-19
Magnetics Business & Technology - September/October 2020 - 7
Magnetics Business & Technology - September/October 2020 - Highly Permeable Ferrite Enables 3D Cube Antennas from Neosid for 6DoF Tracking
Magnetics Business & Technology - September/October 2020 - 9
Magnetics Business & Technology - September/October 2020 - 10
Magnetics Business & Technology - September/October 2020 - 11
Magnetics Business & Technology - September/October 2020 - 12
Magnetics Business & Technology - September/October 2020 - 13
Magnetics Business & Technology - September/October 2020 - Tech Tips
Magnetics Business & Technology - September/October 2020 - 15
Magnetics Business & Technology - September/October 2020 - Research & Development
Magnetics Business & Technology - September/October 2020 - 17
Magnetics Business & Technology - September/October 2020 - US Air Force Investigates Using Quantum Materials in New Navigation Tool
Magnetics Business & Technology - September/October 2020 - 19
Magnetics Business & Technology - September/October 2020 - Product News
Magnetics Business & Technology - September/October 2020 - 21
Magnetics Business & Technology - September/October 2020 - 22
Magnetics Business & Technology - September/October 2020 - 23
Magnetics Business & Technology - September/October 2020 - Industry News
Magnetics Business & Technology - September/October 2020 - 25
Magnetics Business & Technology - September/October 2020 - 26
Magnetics Business & Technology - September/October 2020 - 27
Magnetics Business & Technology - September/October 2020 - Events Calendar/ Advertising Index
Magnetics Business & Technology - September/October 2020 - 29
Magnetics Business & Technology - September/October 2020 - Visions
Magnetics Business & Technology - September/October 2020 - Cover3
Magnetics Business & Technology - September/October 2020 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2024mayjune
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2024marchapril
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2024januaryfebruary
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2023novemberdecember
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2023septemberoctober
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2023julyaugust
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2023mayjune
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2023marchapril
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2023januaryfebruary
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2022novemberdecember
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2022septemberoctober
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2022julyaugust
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2022mayjune
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2022marchapril
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2022januaryfebruary
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2021novemberdecember
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2021septemberoctober
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2021julyaugust
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2021mayjune
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2021marchapril
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2021januaryfebruary
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2020novemberdecember
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2020septemberoctober
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2020julyaugust
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2020mayjune
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2020marchapril
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2020januaryfebruary
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2019novemberdecember
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2019septemberoctober
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2019julyaug
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2019mayjune
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2019marchapril
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2019janfeb
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2018winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2018summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2018spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2017winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2017summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2017spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2016winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2016summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2016spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2015winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2015summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2015spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2014winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2014summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2014spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2013winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2013fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2013summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2013spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2012winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2012fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2012summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2012spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2011winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2011fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/magnetics_2011summer
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com