A £1.4 million investment has underpinned a key step towards independence from satellite-based timing systems, as Xairos UK, Ltd. successfully completed Phase 1 of the Innovate UK Quantum PNT Mission. The TimeLink programme, led by Xairos, has reduced risk associated with the company’s patented quantum protocols and established a UK-based hardware and software baseline for resilient, GNSS-independent timing. This outcome is particularly significant given the vulnerability of current systems; critical infrastructure relies on signals from GNSS satellites that can be disrupted or spoofed. Delivered with partners including Duality Quantum Photonics, Lumino Technologies, Cranfield University, Quantum Technology Associates, and Vodafone, the project advances the Xairos-Athena product line and supports the UK’s ambition for quantum technology to contribute £11 billion to GDP.
TimeLink Phase 1: De-risking Quantum Protocols and Establishing Baseline
This achievement addresses growing concerns about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure to signal disruption and spoofing, particularly for sectors like finance, telecommunications, and defense. Phase 1 advanced the Xairos-Athena product line to a deployable software platform, capable of automated configuration and operation outside laboratory settings. Key milestones included the design and testing of core subsystems for timing, power, and processing, alongside the maturation of hardware for distributing entanglement via both free-space and fibre links, and the refinement of clock disciplining algorithms. This work has established a foundation for two complementary Quantum Time Transfer (QTT) products: Athena Connect, a free-space optical node for airborne, maritime, and space environments, and Athena FibreLite, an embedded fibre-based unit for ultra-precise synchronization within critical national infrastructure. The conclusion of TimeLink has established a solid foundation for Xairos to accelerate the commercialization of these systems and continue its innovation of high-precision timing services.
The pursuit of precise timing has long relied on signals broadcast from global navigation satellite systems, or GNSS, but vulnerabilities to disruption and spoofing are driving demand for alternative solutions. Xairos UK, Ltd.
Xairos has led the successful completion of Phase 1 of the Innovate UK Quantum PNT Mission, de-risking the company’s patented quantum protocols and establishing a robust UK-based hardware and software baseline for resilient, GNSS-independent timing.
Xairos UK, Ltd.
