Quantum sensors measure physical fields — gravity, magnetism, rotation, time — with a precision classical instruments cannot reach. This opens new possibilities for subsurface surveys: pipelines, cables, tunnels, and foundations can be located and characterised from the surface, reducing the need for excavation.
The promise: earlier fault detection, fewer unplanned outages, lower maintenance cost. Commercial systems are available today for some applications; others are moving from research to early deployment.
Classical sensors detect changes in electrical signals, mechanical forces, or optical properties. Their precision is limited by thermal noise and material properties.
Quantum sensors exploit quantum phenomena — superposition, entanglement, and interference — to measure physical fields beyond what classical instruments can reach.
A quantum gravimeter can detect density variations underground with sub-metre resolution — from the surface. A quantum magnetometer can locate a buried cable and characterise its magnetic signature without excavation. A quantum optical clock loses less than one second over the age of the universe.
These are not incremental upgrades. They measure things classical instruments cannot see.
Quantum sensing is not one technology. It is three — each at a different stage of commercial maturity.
Measures tiny gravitational variations caused by subsurface density differences.
What it detects
Commercial status
Multiple providers offer field-deployable systems today. Used in oil & gas, geotechnical surveys, and infrastructure mapping.
Key sectors: Oil & Gas, Mining, Civil Engineering, Water Management, Urban Infrastructure
Measures magnetic field variations with extreme precision — revealing material properties and structural anomalies.
What it detects
Commercial status
Specialised field systems exist; industrial-scale deployment is underway. Early pilots are producing compelling results.
Key sectors: Energy Infrastructure, Rail, Construction, Defence
Ultra-precise timing and positioning — the foundation of GPS, telecoms, and financial networks. Quantum inertial navigation extends this to environments without satellite signals.
What it detects
Commercial status
Atomic clocks are deployed today across telecoms and finance. Quantum inertial navigation is in advanced development for defence and logistics.
Key sectors: Telecoms, Finance, Defence, Maritime, Autonomous Systems
Different sectors, different stages of adoption. Some applications — like gravimetric surveys in oil & gas — are commercially deployed today. Others are in early pilots or still in research.
Map geological formations and resource deposits with quantum gravimeters — reducing drilling costs and improving resource estimates. Commercially available today.
Surface-level surveys to detect corrosion patterns and structural changes along buried pipelines — early pilots, not yet a standard monitoring tool.
Surface-based surveys of buried pipelines and high-voltage cables — detecting corrosion patterns and locating faults with reduced excavation.
Detect electromagnetic anomalies in transformers and grid components that classical magnetometers miss.
Create detailed subsurface maps of buried infrastructure — reducing excavation costs and planning uncertainty.
Detect subsidence, voids, and drainage failures beneath rail tracks before they cause speed restrictions or stoppages.
Survey tunnel linings and surrounding geology with higher sensitivity than classical inspection methods.
Emerging: quantum magnetometers for early detection of material fatigue in reinforced concrete — currently research-stage.
Detect mass and density changes beneath buildings — complementing classical ground-movement monitoring in urban environments.
Identify underground cavities and unstable subsoil before foundation problems develop — relevant for urban construction and retrofitting.
Emerging: quantum-enhanced structural health monitoring for large assets — currently research-stage alongside established classical SHM systems.
Quantum sensing has two adoption curves: expert-grade survey instruments (today) and miniaturised networked sensors for continuous infrastructure monitoring (scaling now).
Generation 1: commercial quantum gravimeters available from multiple providers (Exail, M Squared, and others) for expert-operated surveys in oil & gas, geotechnical, and civil engineering.
Quantum sensing is commercially deployed in one specific area today: subsurface gravimetry.
Quantum gravimeters have been in active use by oil & gas, mining, and geotechnical surveyors since the late 2010s. As commercial products, not pilots — with multiple providers (Exail, M Squared, others) delivering field-deployable systems.
For organisations with underground infrastructure assets, the question is not whether quantum sensing will be relevant. It is whether it is relevant for your specific use case — and which partners can help you find out.
Austria operates significant critical infrastructure — energy grids, alpine tunnels, rail networks, urban underground systems — where non-invasive monitoring at quantum-level precision represents a direct operational and safety benefit.
At the same time, Austria has world-class research in quantum sensing through the University of Innsbruck, TU Wien, and the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) — with active commercialisation efforts underway.
The infrastructure need and the scientific capability are both present. What is missing is the structured bridge between them — which is what the Quantum Reality Check exists to build.
Research & Technology
Scientific base and applied research partners
Universität Innsbruck
Quantum sensing research, Quantum Hub Tirol
TU Wien
Quantum photonics and sensing
ISTA (Klosterneuburg)
Multiple active quantum sensing groups (atom interferometry, chip-based sensing, ultrafast spectroscopy)
Silicon Austria Labs (SAL)
Applied quantum sensing — magnetometers, quantum gyroscopes, industrial integration (Graz, Villach, Linz)
RECENDT (Linz)
Non-destructive testing with quantum-enhanced methods; co-organiser of Quantum Sensing Linz conference
Funding & Programmes
National support infrastructure
FFG
Austrian Research Promotion Agency — funding pathways for quantum projects
Quantum Austria
€107M national quantum research programme (computing, communication, sensing)
Now
You already know which assets are critical. The different question: which physical quantities can you not measure directly today? Buried asset location, sub-surface mass changes, internal corrosion — classical blind spots. What would direct measurement change?
Effort: Internal workshop, 1 day
2026
For your 2–3 most valuable gaps, engage applied research partners before vendors. Two questions matter first: can quantum physically solve your problem, and under which operating conditions? Not every gap has a quantum answer — knowing this early saves budget.
Effort: 4–8 weeks with an applied research partner
2027+
A pilot is only useful if you know upfront what answer you need. Three designs typically work: parallel monitoring next to classical inspection on an active asset, controlled tests with induced anomalies on a test section, or a survey on a greenfield site before construction. Pick the design that fits your actual decision: continuous monitoring, inspection replacement, or pre-construction insight. Define success criteria and cost-per-insight before deployment — not after.
Effort: 6–12 months field pilot
The Quantum Reality Check — Roundtable on Sensing and infrastructure monitoring. Invite-only, Austrian corporate operations and innovation leaders. Topics: which of your infrastructure assets are quantum sensing candidates? What is commercially available today? What does a realistic pilot look like — technically and financially?
Speaker input from Austrian quantum sensing researchers and technology providers.