Quantum magnetometers for infrastructure inspection and monitoring
Article
Hasan, MM, Torres, I, Krasnok, A. (2026). Quantum magnetometers for infrastructure inspection and monitoring
. Measurement: Journal of the International Measurement Confederation, 290 10.1016/j.measurement.2026.122735
Hasan, MM, Torres, I, Krasnok, A. (2026). Quantum magnetometers for infrastructure inspection and monitoring
. Measurement: Journal of the International Measurement Confederation, 290 10.1016/j.measurement.2026.122735
Hidden corrosion, fatigue, and electrical faults threaten infrastructure and can remain undetected until damage becomes severe. Magnetic methods can inspect through coatings, insulation, and concrete, but field measurements are limited by stand-off, drift, environmental noise, and weak low-frequency signals. This review assesses two room-temperature quantum magnetometers: optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs) and nitrogen-vacancy (NV) diamond sensors. The analysis covers the full measurement chain, including source physics, geometry, readout, calibration, and interpretation. Evidence is grouped into driven induction, magnetic flux leakage, passive stress- or corrosion-related fields, and operational-current sensing. OPMs remain sensitive at low frequencies where pickup coils lose output, while NV sensors provide compact vector and differential measurements near the target, with gradient sensing through arrays or scanning. Both platforms remain predominantly at laboratory-demonstration or application-specific-prototype maturity. Field qualification requires improved bandwidth and dynamic range, background rejection, geometry control, calibration, environmental packaging, and same-geometry benchmarking against established receivers.
