Did the US Pilot Downed in Iran get Rescued with Quantum Sensors?
What other uses will we find for quantum technologies?
I’m a member of HKA Marketing Communications panel of TQS experts and today I submitted the following guest post, so also sharing here with my Quantum Leap subscribers as bonus content.
When an F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down over southern Iran recently, and its missing pilot was safely recovered, multiple outlets, citing unnamed US officials and a New York Post report, say the CIA used a tool called “Ghost Murmur” that employs long‑range quantum magnetometry to sense the very weak magnetic field from a human heartbeat, then used AI to filter out background noise and localize the source. The rumor continues that this information was then used to pinpoint the location of the downed pilot to guide his rescue.
While the purported program is classified, and it’s unlikely the US military would divulge such capabilities even if they were real, the veracity of the claim is not the point of this post. I’m sure all American’s are happy that the pilot was safely recovered, and whatever technology was used, it’s comforting to know that it worked.
The point is that when I first heard the claim, I didn’t automatically dismiss it as science fiction. My gut reaction was that it was highly unlikely (powerful varying background fields, vibration, inertial and temperature fluctuations of the measurement platform, hyper-exponential drop-off of such signals as a function of distance, etc.) but a part of me thought for a moment that it was in the realm of possibility, mostly because we really don’t yet know what capabilities quantum technologies will eventually unlock.
As I research various quantum programs and speak with colleagues in the industry, the variety of solutions already in development is remarkable and helps convey the broad benefits that quantum technologies will soon be bringing to market/society.
Here are five SciFi-seeming technologies that are already in actual field deployment or have completed successful tests:
Methane Gas Leak Detection: LongPath uses dual-frequency-comb laser systems to continuously scan tens of square kilometers of oil and gas fields, using Nobel-prize-winning comb spectroscopy to pick out methane leaks. [see more here]
Quantum Breath Analysis: Jun Ye’s group (JILA/CU-Boulder/NIST) is leading a project to build a quantum-enhanced breath test, using ultra stable lasers and precision spectroscopy to detect trace molecules in exhaled air as disease biomarkers. They are targeting bacterial pneumonia, viral infections and asthma in children, and are in active development with clinical partners. [see more here]
Through-wall Human Sensing: Several groups have already demonstrated detecting and tracking people behind walls using quantum sensing. In some instances they can identify motion, posture and gait. [see more here]
Quantum-Enhanced Medical and Biological Sensing: Quantum magnetometers and related sensors are now being field-tested for bio magnetic signals – detecting minute magnetic fields from the heart of brain, and for highly sensitive NMR-like measurements of tiny samples. Pilot projects in areas like neurology, cardiology, and drug discovery are moving these from benchtop experiments into practical instruments, where quantum coherence directly buys you better signal at lower dose or with less invasive setups. [see more here]
Quantum MagNav and GravNav: quantum magnetometers and gravimeters have already proven successful in field tests for certain navigation uses on ships and aircraft. Applications include GPS‑denied navigation, underground void detection, and resource exploration, with field trials showing superior stability and sensitivity to classical gear. [see more here]
As bleeding-edge and SciFi as these sound, they are all either already commercialized or have passed field tests. I like to imagine what else clever scientists and quantum programmers might think of next. When PCs were first coming to market in the early 1980s (I may be dating myself, but I remember monochrome graphics, no input mouse, no GUI, pre-Internet, and very limited software availability) virtually no one could have predicted that within a decade or two, there would be nearly-ubiquitous global email, life-like graphical multi-player games in real time, a place to easily sell your junk (eBay), a way to stay in touch with people from every chapter of your life (Facebook) a way to stream almost any movie in high definition, or a plethora of nearly instant-gratification services (DoorDash, Amazon, Uber, etc.) I like to imagine what the future holds for quantum devices and computers. Here are just a few thoughts:
Drive-By Detectors: Imagine handheld quantum sensors that can map signals coming from ghost infrastructure in walls or under streets, illicit equipment or other assets.
“Truth Meters” for video calls: One day there may be embedded probability bars for “untruthful,” “synthetic,” “live human,” or other parameters.
Personalized Climate Bubbles: Perhaps skyscraper districts, farms or stadiums will be able to dynamically reshape air currents so that different micro-climates can be achieved.
On-demand Molecules for Chefs: Creation of flavor‑relevant molecules and their interactions with receptors (mouth feel), allowing “quantum flavor engines” to create entirely new taste experiences that never evolved in nature.
Quantum “MRI” of buried infrastructure: used to find remains of ancient civilizations or to catch leaks and sinkholes years before they surface.
Rescue Vision: Quantum‑inspired ghost imaging and non‑line‑of‑sight optics mature into rugged field kits for firefighters and search‑and‑rescue teams.
Deep-Deep Space Observations: Using quantum clocks and networked observatories to create a synthetic aperture (e.g., a telescope) the size of Earth.
All Manner of New Materials and Medicines: There are 118 know elements on the periodic table and about 166 billion chemically reasonable small molecules. We can combine various elements using all manner of synthesis and states (gas, liquid, solid, crystal polymorphs, etc.) So, there is a virtually infinite number of new molecules that can be created. Image a powerful quantum computer helping to synthesize the precise molecule for a needed application or drug.
Take a dash of insight, a smidgeon of quantum application and maybe even some errant experiments (many products, such as 3M post-it notes, were created by accident) and who knows what can be created. I am excited to see what unfolds as clever folks use the evolving quantum capabilities to create resources and solutions that we can’t even imagine today. If you like some of these, let me know, or add your own ideas to the thread.
I'm excited about the possibilities🥀
not possible due to Quantum phenomena used in sensors. this needs to be close enough.