Quantum Sensing Applications in the Maritime Domain

Underwater environments are extremely complex. This presents unique challenges for navigation, sensing, communication and tracking underwater. This is due to bandwidth limitations, electromagnetic signal attenuation, and acoustic sensing being of limited precision in noisy environments and being extremely frequency dependent when using classical methods. Instead, by exploiting quantum coherence and entanglement, quantum sensing offers an alternative method in measuring gravitational, magnetic and possibly acoustic fields with increased sensitivity. This work outlines opportunities in which quantum sensing could aid sensing in the maritime domain. This work will present potential frameworks on which quantum sensors could be integrated in underwater vehicles and the avenues this level of sensing would open. The goal is to grow the foundational understanding required to integrate novel quantum sensors into undersea vehicles for addressing key challenges associated with complex ocean environments.