University of Stuttgart buys Nano Dimension printer for Quantum Sensors
Two teams will use Dragonfly IV in a government-sponsored program known as Cluster4Future QSens
Nano Dimension sold the latest DragonFly IV system for additively manufactured electronics (AME) to the University of Stuttgart. The Israeli company’s most advanced 3D printer for electronics will go to the University’s Institute of Smart Sensors (IIS) and 3rd Institute of Physics (PI3). The two groups are jointly working on the design and integration of next-generation quantum sensors as part of a government-sponsored program known as Cluster4Future QSens (“QSens”).
The University of Stuttgart groups are working together with 19 industrial partners and three research institutes to spearhead the industrial use of quantum sensors to target a large-scale market entry within the next three to five years.
The DragonFly IV is a critical innovation enabler in specialty applications for High-Performance-Electronic-Devices (Hi-PEDs) by simultaneously depositing proprietary conductive and dielectric substances while integrating in-situ capacitors, antennas, coils, transformers, and electromechanical components. Such Hi-PEDs are critical enablers for a range of applications, including autonomous intelligent drones, cars, satellites, smartphones, and in vivo medical devices.
Professor Jens Anders, Institute Director of the I I S at the University of Stuttgart and spokesperson for Cluster4Future QSens, shared, “We are excited to bring the DragonFly IV with its worldwide unique capabilities into our research. The integration of qubits for quantum sensing and quantum computing is high-demanding in nature, requiring innovative, high-precision solutions; therefore, it is not often that we find technology that meets our challenging needs. Engaging with Nano Dimension will help us design and manufacture the next generation of scalable quantum devices, which will revolutionize our society with applications ranging from smart prostheses and smart breath sensors over pharmaceutical research to autonomous driving.”
Yoav Stern, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Nano Dimension, added, “We look forward to supporting the University of Stuttgart and their Center of Applied Quantum Technology in their ever-critical work on quantum technology. Furthermore, we are pleased that another customer has come to appreciate the value of AME to drive innovation. This is particularly empowering when the work at hand is the scalable integration of qubits for quantum sensing and computing. This field is the perfect use case for our AME system, DragonFly® IV, which can be used to make specialty electronic devices with the design freedom and shorter innovation cycles of additive manufacturing.”
Since the foundation of the Institute of Smart Sensors over 100 years ago, the theory of electrical engineering has been a central pillar of the institute’s activities in research and teaching. Traditionally, this is complemented by groundbreaking work in cutting-edge applications. Currently, research at the IIS focuses on smart sensors and integrated interface circuits for various sensing applications with an emphasis on novel quantum sensing and quantum computing concepts.
QSens is dedicated to the development of the next generation of scalable quantum sensors. Quantum sensors enable measurements with a sensitivity on the edge of what is theoretically possible. This new type of sensor can be used, for example, in medicine, autonomous navigation, and renewable energies. Quantum sensors are still in their infancy. Promising prototypes have been tested in the first successful feasibility studies, however, the technology still lacks the scalability and mass-manufacturability required to enter the market on an industrial scale. To change this, within the BMBF-sponsored Cluster4Future QSens, the Universities of Stuttgart and Ulm, together with 19 industrial partners and three research institutes, jointly work on the next generation of scalable quantum devices, targeting a market entry within the next three to five years.
