Tuesday, 03 February 2026
The University of Nottingham is part of a new multi-million-pound UK-Japan collaborative project developing next generation quantum sensing technologies.
A £1.5m grant has been awarded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to the UK research team, which on the UK side includes the Universities of Nottingham, Exeter and King’s College London and is led by Exeter. On the Japanese side, the five-year collaboration is led by Tokyo University alongside Okinawa Institute of Science & Technology and Waseda University Tokyo.
The goal of our project is to develop quantum sensors that are more resistant to environmental influences known as noise, enabling them to detect very weak signals, operate faster and more accurately. This enhanced sensitivity will enable us to detect things that we couldn’t measure so far – allowing new insights and technical developments.
“Our work could unlock a range of new applications, from improved brain imaging to photon storage, to navigation devices that work without linking to a satellite. Central to this is the collaboration between the UK and Japanese partners. Each partner brings different strengths that are essential for the project objectives.”
Professor Janet Anders from the University of Exeter said: “Almost all advanced technology relies on sensors in some way. Our phones are full of them - the camera is packed with light sensors, an acceleration sensor detects hand movements, and a magnetic sensor helps navigation. Sensors are also used in medical scanners, cars, planes, and factories."
Over the next five years researchers will develop smarter control techniques to make quantum sensors faster and more accurate in “noisy” environments. These sensors will improve medical diagnostics, navigation without GPS, and resource exploration, while advancing fundamental science and training the next generation of quantum experts.
Dr Mark Mitchison from King’s College London said: “Quantum sensors use the bizarre properties of the tiny particles that make up our Universe – like electrons, atoms, and photons – to do the same job in a much more sensitive way. These sensors already exist but they are very susceptible to influences from their environment, which obscure the signal they are trying to measure. We call these influences “noise” because they are unpredictable and undesirable, even though you can’t actually hear them.
“By combining advanced measurement and data processing techniques with state-of-the-art quantum sensors based on atoms and photons, we aim to develop these noise-resistant sensors. We will also investigate completely new kinds of sensing devices that use the complicated motion of many interacting quantum particles to boost sensitivity.”
UK institutions will host numerous extended visits by junior researchers from Japan over the next five years, while UK researchers will also go to Japan. This allows the project to share expertise and establish a network of scientists, laying the foundation for both nations' future advances in the important area of quantum technology.
By the end of the five-year project, the team will have performed proof-of-principle experiments that demonstrate how noise-resistant quantum sensors could improve technologies such as brain imaging.
Story credits
More information is available from Dr Lucia Hackermuller on Lucia.Hackermuller@nottingham.ac.uk or Jane Icke, Media Relations Manager for the Faculty of Science at the University of Nottingham, on jane.icke@nottingham.ac.uk
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 97 in the world and 17th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the third most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2024 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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