11 min read·
Atomic vs photonic vs superconducting quantum sensors: sensitivity, cost, and deployment readiness compared
The quantum sensing market is projected to reach $3.2B by 2028, but choosing between atomic (cold-atom gravimeters), photonic (entangled-photon lidars), and superconducting (SQUID magnetometers) platforms involves 10–100× sensitivity differences and cost ranges from $50K to $2M per unit. This comparison maps each modality against environmental monitoring, infrastructure inspection, and resource exploration use cases.