Radar

China has improved its quantum radar

Once installed on a near-space vehicle, the new quantum radar could effectively monitor high-speed flying objects in the upper atmosphere and above. This means it can track ballistic missiles and rockets in space.

Xia Linghao, from CETC’s 14th Research Institute and one of the lead scientists on the radar project, says that the bulk of the theoretical work had been completed and that the company had entered the experimental verification phase.

The radar is based on single photon measurement technology, which measures the quantum states of subatomic particles repeatedly.

Quantum radar systems generate pairs of entangled light particles known as photons. One photon in the pair is beamed into the air while the other remains at the radar station.

If a target is located, some photons bounce back and can be identified by matching them with their “twins”. By measuring the returning photons, researchers can calculate the physical properties of the target, such as its size, shape, speed and angle of attack.