Quantum Sensing (QS) is considered the most mature of quantum technologies and expected to have the potential for revolutionary impact on defense operations. However, significant technical challenges lie ahead before operational systems will be developed. ADEQUADE – Advanced, Disruptive and Emerging QUAntum technologies for DEfense intends to provide breakthrough in three QS domains and the intended results will pave the way for the development of capabilities with significant technological, operational and strategic advantages over existing defense products or technologies in different warfare capabilities:

1. Positioning, navigation and timing: ADEQUADE will sustain the future capability, through different, potentially hybridized techniques, for any military platform, whatever the medium, to know its position, heading and timing even without access to GNSS.
2. Radio frequency: ADEQUADE will provide radars and electronic warfare systems with improved capabilities in terms of sensitivity, probability of intercept, dynamic range and frequency coverage/agility. In all the cases gains of at least one order of magnitude is targeted in order to perform longer range detection/identification/classification of small targets.
3. Optronics: ADEQUADE will provide optronic systems with improved capabilities in terms of sensitivity and resolution. Sensitivity down to photon counting level together with operation in severe atmospheres are targeted in order to perform longer range detection/identification/classification functions.

To achieve this, ADEQUADE will unleash a large, inclusive & industry-driven consortium (major defense industrials, academic labs, RTOs and industrial labs, technological SMEs and mid-caps) with superior capabilities to the benefit of all European defense forces and provide more accurate and effective quantum sensing solutions: demonstrated under strict SWAP-C requirements enabling information superiority down to the tactical edge responding to a top priority of the EU Capability Development Plan.

In detail, quantum ghost imaging is an optronics technique that typically relies on arrays of photodetectors with high sensitivity and gated mode operation for the imaging beam detection. The Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering – Politecnico di Milano will be in charge to provide a preliminary 32x32 SPAD array demonstrator and to develop, fabricate and characterize the new 64x64 SPAD camera, optimized for quantum ghost imaging.