Göteborg Mesoscopic Lecture 2026

Title: Compact, low noise Electric-Magnetic Vector Sensor and its Applications

Speaker: Yongming Zhang, Quasar Fed. Syst, San Diego www.quasarfs.com

Abstract: 
The low frequency electromagnetic sensors have seen little absolute progress since 1950. Based on newly developed ultra-low noise integrated circuit (IC) components and innovative designs on magnetic induction sensors and free space electric field sensors, The QUASAR Federal Systems (QFS) was founded around 2000 to push low frequency EM sensing into the antenna regime, changing the paradigm for system size and multi-component reception. The company developed compact, low noise, low-frequency electro-magnetic (EM) sensors, including a family of 6-axis vector EM sensors for many sensing applications, holding unofficial performance bests for E-field sensors, compact magnetic induction sensors, and EM vector sensors. We have gained extensive experience and knowledge in designing customized SWaP (size-weight and power), sensitive EM sensors and systems, as well as developing noise mitigation and detection algorithms based on vector sensors. We developed vector EM sensors in the ultra-low frequency band (0.1Hz – 1 kHz), very-low frequency band (1kHz – 100 kHz), low frequency band (10 kHz – 2 MHz), high-frequency band (1- 30 MHz), and very high frequency band (30 MHz- 500 MHz). Currently, our research and development focus on sensing systems in four areas: manned aircraft DF/Geolocation using the vector sensor, underwater EM sensing, unique electric field sensing, and state-of-the-art VLF/LF sensing. A few EM sensing examples will be presented during the talk.

Dr. Zhang graduated from CTH in 1993 with a PhD in Applied Physics. He joined the Conductus (Sunnyvale, CA) as a member of technical staff in 1995, working on research of superconducting digital RSFQ circuits, and the hybrid system combining low temperature high speed superconducting digital circuits, low temperature semiconductor and optical devices. He joined the QUASAR family (San Diego, CA) in 2002 as a Sr. scientist. He was promoted to CEO in 2014. At QFS, Dr. Zhang leads R&D for electric and magnetic field sensors/antennas, system development, and technology deployment for EM sensing applications. He is co-inventor on several EM sensing patents.

The Göteborg Mesoscopic Lectures are sponsored by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences through its Nobel Institute of Physics. Further information by Per Delsing, Mats Jonson, or Tord Claeson. If you want to meet Dr Zhang, please let Tord Claeson know.