Author: Noah El Alami, Technology Analyst at IDTechEx
Quantum sensors leverage quantum phenomena to offer dramatically increased sensitivity compared to traditional sensors. The growing suite of quantum sensors available today opens a diverse range of applications, including use in electric vehicles, GPS denied navigation, medical imaging, communications, and quantum computing.
In this article, IDTechEx provides an overview of the quantum sensor market today, and a glimpse of the factors predicted to drive this emerging market to reach US$2.2B by 2045, as stated in IDTechEx’s new report, “Quantum Sensors Market 2025-2045: Technology, Trends, Players, Forecasts”.
A diverse range of technologies and applications
Quantum sensors enable highly sensitive measurements of a range of physical properties. These include time (atomic clocks), electric and magnetic fields, current, gravity, linear and angular acceleration, light (single photon detectors), and more. Superior sensitivity relative to their classical counterparts means that quantum sensors are attracting interest for applications including within electric and autonomous vehicles, brain scanners, underground mapping equipment, satellites, microscopes, and even consumer electronics.
Furthermore, growing hype and synergistic development with other quantum technologies, such as quantum computing and communications, assists in driving interest and investment into the quantum sensor space. In fact, quantum sensors, such as magnetometers and single photon detectors, will play a pivotal role in enabling the scale-up of quantum computers as their complexity and qubit numbers increase.
Long term deployment volumes of the different categories of quantum sensors (excluding TMR sensors). Source: IDTechEx
Some quantum sensors are deployed today, while others play a long game
Given the diversity of technologies and target applications, there is significant variation of technology readiness level (TRL) and addressable market size across the quantum sensor space. For example, millions of chip-scale tunnelling magneto resistance (TMR) sensors have already been sold into the automotive sector for remote current sensing. Meanwhile, bio-magnetic imaging with optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs) is showing promising potential but is at a much earlier development stage, with startups such as Cerca Magnetics currently selling their first products and prototypes to research centers. Similarly, bench-top sized atomic clocks have been used for years for research and international time standards, whilst more compact rack-mountable or chip-scale devices are poised to break into the data center and automotive markets in the near future.
Each quantum sensing technology comes with its own unique advantages, but bringing even the best quantum sensors from the lab to the mass-markets relies on the scalable manufacture of their materials and components. The fabrication of exotic materials such as artificial diamond or superconductors, and the development of advanced semiconductor and photonic manufacturing capabilities for the quantum sensor market presents its own commercial opportunity. To grow and protect their quantum ecosystems, many national schemes are now fostering sovereign production of materials and components for quantum sensors.
Quantum sensor market technologies and applications roadmap. Source: IDTechEx
Market outlook
Quantum sensors are poised to revolutionize the sensor market in the next 20 years by leveraging quantum phenomena to offer dramatically increased sensitivity or new capabilities. For some technologies this is a matter of optimizing proven technology to break into new markets, while for others it is a long-term challenge of scaling innovations from the lab to a commercial product for future applications.
IDTechEx's report, “Quantum Sensors Market 2025-2045: Technology, Trends, Players, Forecasts”, provides extensive analysis of the quantum sensor market, including over 40 company profiles with technology developers and end users to cover 20 quantum sensing technology areas. This report covers the fundamental operating principles, miniaturization and manufacturing challenges, competitive landscape, and industry players for each quantum sensing technology.
Topics covered include atomic clocks, quantum magnetic field sensors, quantum gyroscopes, quantum accelerometers, quantum gravimeters, quantum RF sensors, single photon detectors, quantum imaging, and components for quantum sensors. Each quantum sensor category is assessed using SWOT analyses and technical benchmarking tables. Key players are classified in terms of their capabilities and aims, and products (where available) are benchmarked against each other and their classical incumbents. Applications explored include timing and inertial navigation, remote current sensing, bio-magnetic imaging, underground asset mapping, quantum computing readout, gas LiDAR, and RF testing. The quantum sensor market is forecast to grow to US$2.2B by 2045 with a CAGR of 11.4%.
To find out more about this IDTechEx report, including downloadable sample pages, please visit www.IDTechEx.com/QuantumSensors.
For the full portfolio of quantum technologies market research available from IDTechEx, please see www.IDTechEx.com/Research/Quantum.
