Infleqtion Awarded £9 Million by Innovate UK for Quantum RF Sensing System

13 October 2026. Infleqtion (NYSE: INFQ) has been awarded £9 million (~$12M) by Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), to continue development of a deployable quantum radio frequency (QRF) direction finding (DF) system as part of the Quantum Missions Primer programme.

Infleqtion is developing a Quantum Spectrum-DF product within the second phase of the Quantum Direction Finding (QuDiFi) project. The system is designed to detect and locate signals in environments where existing technologies are limited. In earlier work, Infleqtion designed and tested a prototype system.

"By advancing quantum sensing from laboratory research to practical deployment, this project will help establish the United Kingdom as a leader in next generation radio frequency sensing technologies," said Colin Sullivan, Managing Director, UK at Infleqtion. "The technology also lays the groundwork for future applications such as spectrum surveillance, passive radar and resilient navigation, enabling new capabilities that are not achievable with existing systems."

The project uses a quantum sensing approach based on Rydberg atoms to detect radio signals using optical techniques rather than conventional antennas. The approach is expected to reduce reliance on large antenna structures and enable compact, broadband, and passive sensing. The system is designed for dual use across both defence and civilian markets.

Infleqtion is collaborating with Leonardo on the project. The second phase involves developing a deployable product, Quantum Spectrum-DF, focused on improved performance, reliability, and ease of use, while validating the system in realistic operational environments.

Source: The Quantum Insider