Business Daily Media

Men's Weekly

.

HKU Engineering researchers achieve breakthrough in quantum sensing that leads to new opportunities of applications in monitoring dynamic processes in biological systems

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 21 February 2024 - A collaborative project led by Professor Zhiqin Chu, Professor Can Li and Professor Ngai Wong, at the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) has made a breakthrough in enhancing the speed and resolution of widefield quantum sensing, leading to new opportunities in scientific research and practical applications.



(From left) Professor Ngai Wong, Professor Can Li, Professor Zhiqin Chu and Zhiyuan Du Image Credit: The University of Hong Kong
(From left) Professor Ngai Wong, Professor Can Li, Professor Zhiqin Chu and Zhiyuan Du Image Credit: The University of Hong Kong

By collaborating with scientists from Mainland China and Germany, the team has successfully developed a groundbreaking quantum sensing technology using a neuromorphic vision sensor, which is designed to mimic the human vision system. This sensor is capable of encoding changes in fluorescence intensity into spikes during optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) measurements. The key advantage of this approach is that it results in highly compressed data volumes and reduced latency, making the system more efficient than traditional methods. This breakthrough in quantum sensing holds potential for various applications in fields such as monitoring dynamic processes in biological systems.

The research paper has been published in the journal Advanced Science titled "Widefield Diamond Quantum Sensing with Neuromorphic Vision Sensors".

"Researchers worldwide have spent much effort looking into ways to improve the measurement accuracy and spatiotemporal resolution of camera sensors. But a fundamental challenge remains: handling the massive amount of data in the form of image frames that need to be transferred from the camera sensors for further processing. This data transfer can significantly limit the temporal resolution, which is typically no more than 100 fps due to the use of frame-based image sensors. What we did was trying to overcome the bottleneck," said Zhiyuan Du, the first author of the paper and PhD candidate at the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Du said his professor's focus on quantum sensing had inspired him and other team members to break new ground in the area. He is also driven by a passion for integrating sensing and computing.

"The latest development provides new insights for high-precision and low-latency widefield quantum sensing, with possibilities for integration with emerging memory devices to realise more intelligent quantum sensors," he added.

The team's experiment with an off-the-shelf event camera demonstrated a 13× improvement in temporal resolution, with comparable precision in detecting ODMR resonance frequencies with the state-of-the-art highly specialized frame-based approach. The new technology was successfully deployed in monitoring dynamically modulated laser heating of gold nanoparticles coated on a diamond surface. "It would be difficult to perform the same task using existing approaches," Du said.

Unlike traditional sensors that record the light intensity levels, neuromorphic vision sensors process the light intensity change into "spikes" similar to biological vision systems, leading to improved temporal resolution (≈µs) and dynamic range (>120 dB). This approach is particularly effective in scenarios where image changes are infrequent, such as object tracking and autonomous vehicles, as it eliminates redundant static background signals.

"We anticipate that our successful demonstration of the proposed method will revolutionise widefield quantum sensing, significantly improving performance at an affordable cost," said Professor Zhiqin Chu.

"This also brings closer the realisation of near-sensor processing with emerging memory-based electronic synapse devices," said Professor Can Li.

"The technology's potential for industrial use should be explored further, such as studying dynamic changes in currents in materials and identifying defects in microchips," said Professor Ngai Wong.

Link to the paper: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/advs.202304355

Hashtag: #HKU

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

News from Asia

Prudential and Prudence Foundation Provide Free Mental Health Support to Vulnerable Communities

In partnership with Intellect, the programme will be launched in Malaysia and Vietnam to make mental healthcare more accessible for vulnerable or at-risk groups HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach News...

Trend Micro Named a Leader in IDC MarketScape for CNAPP

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 2 July 2025 - Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704), a global cybersecurity leader, today announced it has been named as a Leader in the IDC Ma...

Drug & Medical Device & Aesthetics, 肌顏態 was displayed at the CSD2025, The GeneQueens and 金因敷 launch was grandly held in Changsha

HONG KONG SAR - EQS Newswire - 2 July 2025 - On June 27, 2025, Uni-Bio Science Group Limited (the "Group")grandly held a new medical aesthetics product launch event in Changsha, releasing the high-...

Amazon Singapore Unveils a Week of Prime Day Deals and a Special Public Maze Event for Prime Day 2025

Prime members can access exclusive deals from brands such as Neutrogena, FOREO, Resto, Cricut, Pigeon, PicassoTiles and Coca-Cola from 8 – 14 July. Free Public event: Amazon Prime Day Maze at Sun...

Themed Forum of "Mountain Biodiversity and Our Life" to Kick off "Guizhou Example" Empowering Global Mountain Eco-treatment

GUIYANG, CHINA - Media OutReach Newswire - 2 July 2025 - Recently, Eco Forum Global Guyang 2025 announced at a press briefing that the themed forum "Mountain Biodiversity and Our Life" will be hel...

Asia's First Porsche Design Tower Offers Revolutionary Luxury Living Experience to Bangkok's Vibrant Japanese Community

STUTTGART, GERMANY / TOKYO, JAPAN - Media OutReach Newswire - 24 June 2025 - Porsche Design Tower Bangkok emerges as a defining statement of excellence in luxury automotive-inspired living. As Asi...

Chubb Life Hong Kong Launches Chubb 1792 Club, a Prestigious Global Wealth Centre Designed to Elevate Customer Experience

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 16 June 2025 - Chubb Life Hong Kong (Chubb Life HK) today unveiled its first wealth centre, Chubb 1792 Club, marking a pivotal moment in its insurance and...

Cushman & Wakefield Greater China Wins Three Best Five-Star Awards at 2025 Asia Pacific Property Awards

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 19 June 2025 - Cushman & Wakefield, a leading global real estate services firm, has again been recognized at the Asia Pacific Property Awards, scoring...

Cushman & Wakefield and Corenet Global Release New Survey Results On "What Occupiers Want"

Cost remains king, but talent, flexibility, and service are reshaping real estate strategy globally HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 2 July 2025 - Cushman & Wakefield (NYSE: CWK), in ...

Hong Kong banks showed moderate balance sheet growth amid global uncertainty in 2024, KPMG report finds

Disciplined cost management, risk vigilance, and digital innovation underpin sector resilience HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 2 July 2025 – Hong Kong's banking sector demonstrated stead...

The Next Generation of Maritime Sustainable Solutions

As organizations globally seek innovative ways to improve sustainability and their impact on Earth, the American Waterways Operators (AWO), a lead...

Demand for Home Batteries surges as Federal Rebate Kicks In

A leading provider of energy solutions VoltX Energy has seen a 400% increase in demand for home batteries in the past three weeks as people put d...

Why Sport Remains the Safest Bet in an Uncertain World

When Rome was in crisis, its leaders did not retreat to the Senate. They went to the circus. To the chariot races. To the gladiators. Sport was no...

THE FINE LINE WITHIN HILARIOUS SIGNAGE DESIGN FAILS

It seems like design failures still occur in today’s modern branding era, despite rigorous rounds of approvals behind the scenes. One signage show...

Deputy Announces Exclusive Global Partnership with Predelo to Bring AI to Shift-Based Businesses

Deputy, the global people platform for shift-based businesses, has announced an exclusive partnership with Predelo, an AI Decision Agent-as-a-Serv...

Leftover Budget? The Last-Minute EOFY Tip to Drive Business Success in FY25/26

The countdown is on. With just days left until EOFY, now’s the time to make your remaining 2024–2025 budget work harder and smarter. After workin...

Sell by LayBy