Magnetics Business & Technology - May/June 2021 - 4

EDITOR'S CHOICE

Bosch CEO Peers into Future of Quantum Technology and
Magnetic Sensing
Quantum technology is pushing
the boundaries of what is possible in the domains of computing as well as sensors, says Dr.
Volkmar Denner, CEO of Robert
Bosch GmbH. As head of one of
the world's preeminent technology companies and holder of
a doctorate in physics from the
University of Stuttgart, he is in a
good position to know.
Implications for the field of magnetic sensing are among observations he makes in a recent
commentary highlighting aspects of the road ahead and showing how Bosch researchers
are working to harness an immense opportunity. The aim overall is to enhance the broad
practical benefit of quantum effects, for everything from the development of CO2-neutral
powertrains to neurological diagnostics.
" For Einstein, quantum physics was a headache. In the future, quantum technology will
help diagnose Alzheimer's, epilepsy, and Parkinson's, " says Denner. " This nicely illustrates
the stage research and development have reached some 100 years after the first studies
on the seemingly absurd effects of waves and particles - effects that, although still difficult
for us to grasp, can be put to good use. " Here are excerpts from his presentation that focus
on applications with magnetic implication, particularly high-resolution sensing.
Great though the disruptive potential of quantum computers may be, quantum technology
can do much more. For example, quantum sensor technology can help push the boundaries of medical diagnosis. This is also a subject of Bosch research. Like so much in this
field of physics, the effect on which it is based is an astonishing one: diamond flaws. They
are the basis for measurements of unprecedented accuracy. A flawless diamond consists
of nothing but carbon. Flaws, however, are the result of a nitrogen atom and an adjacent
missing carbon atom. And precisely these " nitrogen-vacancy centers " are highly sensitive
to the tiniest changes in magnetic fields - such as the changes that occur in neurological disorders. They also allow the development of quantum sensors that could take the
diagnosis of Alzheimer's, epilepsy, and Parkinson's to a new level over the next few years
- making it more accurate, simpler, and, not least, more affordable than ever.
More specifically, when treating such disorders, the aim is to localize the affected brain regions as exactly as possible. Up to now, this has only been possible with superconducting
magnetometers, which have to be cooled to minus 269 degrees Celsius with liquid helium.
The scanners that use them are correspondingly complex - huge yet cramped for patients,
extremely expensive, and thus rarely found in hospitals. The quantum sensors of the future, by contrast, also work at room temperature, and require no cooling, which means they
can be fitted to a light helmet, say. The apparatus currently set up in the Bosch laboratories
is still bigger than a laptop, but this will eventually
become a circuit board and perhaps, in the course
of miniaturization, a chip that costs no more than a
few euros. A revolution in neurological diagnosis is
on the horizon.
Quantum technology will be capable of even more.
For example, we will also see yaw-rate sensors
based on the principle of nuclear magnetic resonance. They will be a full 100 times more precise
than micromechanical sensors, and play an important role in making highly automated driving safe.
See more at www.MagneticsMag.com and www.
bosch.com/stories/denners-view-quantum-technology/.

Magnetics Business & Technology *

Bosch researcher Dr. Janine RiedrichMoeller performing experiments
with a first demonstrator of a
quantum gyroscope, which is used as
a yaw-rate sensor.

Volume 20, Issue 3
Editor & Publisher
David Webster

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Dr. Stan Trout

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Ross Webster

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Scott Webster

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