SBQuantum is a Canadian company that spun-out of Quebec’s University of Sherbrooke in 2017. It has developed a magnetometer that uses a superposition of quantum states to enhance its sensitivity to magnetic fields.

In this episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast, the company’s co-founder and CEO David Roy-Guay explains how the technology works and why an SBQuantum magnetometer will be launched into space as part of a multimillion-dollar competition to advance how we measure Earth’s magnetic field.

He also talks about more down-to-earth uses of the firm’s sensors in mineral exploration, navigation and security scanning.