From a precision of billionths of a second in deep space to navigation systems resilient to GPS disruption, the path from atomic clocks to cold-atom sensors is shaping Israel’s race in the field of quantum sensing.

For most of us, time is an abstract concept measured in hours and minutes. For Benny Levy, AccuBeat’s CEO, time is a physical resource that can be measured with nanosecond accuracy, i.e., in billionths of a second. Such clocks form the infrastructure for virtually every modern technological system.

AccuBeat was founded in 1993 by Benny Levy and physicist Dr. Avinoam Stern. Since then, the company has established itself as one of the world’s leading developers and manufacturers of precision timing and frequency solutions. AccuBeat develops quantum sensors based on atomic clocks, in which the clock itself serves as the sensor. Instead of measuring properties, such as temperature or weight, it measures time and frequency with extreme precision, allowing highly accurate conclusions about positioning, movement, and other physical phenomena.

“Once different types of atomic clocks are successfully developed, one of the major challenges is taking something that works in the lab and turning it into a product that functions reliably in the real world, such as in fighter jets, helicopters, UAVs, submarines, ships, civilian environments, homeland security systems, and others”, Levy explains. “The problem is not only engineering. It is deeply physical”, he emphasizes. “To produce a sensor like this, it’s not enough to simply ‘build a product’. You need to control quantum phenomena, materials, and delicate interactions between light, atoms, and frequencies. That is why the field is progressing relatively slowly, but also why those who succeed gain a real advantage”.

According to Levy, the ultimate goal is technological independence in the fields of time and frequency. A country that fails to control its own precision infrastructure remains dependent on others and is, as a result, vulnerable. The quantum sensor is not merely a measurement device but also a means to overcome dependence on unreliable external systems, primarily GPS. As is well known, such external systems rely on signals transmitted from space and are vulnerable to both jamming and spoofing attacks. Once independent, highly precise time measuring is provided by a self-contained atomic clock; navigation, positioning, and synchronization systems that can operate even when hostile elements disrupt or falsify external signals. At AccuBeat, this challenge is addressed through the atomic clock itself. The quantum component at the heart of every system the company develops, manufactures, and supplies to customers in Israel and around the world for civilian, military, and space-related applications.

The atomic clock, the first practical application of quantum theory, introduced in Israel by AccuBeat in the 1990s, has become a critical component of infrastructure for secure communications systems, SIGINT intelligence systems, advanced navigation platforms, command-and-control systems, sophisticated radar technologies, and more. Atomic clocks are intended for use by defense organizations, including the Israel Defense Forces, the Israeli Air Force, and defense industries in Israel and abroad. As well as other entities where they play a central role in civilian and homeland security (HLS) applications, including cellular and wired communications, power grids, navigation systems, banking infrastructure, transportation, oil and gas exploration, data centers, and more.

The clock’s precision is based on energy transitions in the rubidium atom,........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)