Pioneering quantum research moves deep underground

As part of the new QuASAR project (Quantum Atom-experiment for Sensing And fundamental Research), researchers are building the UK’s first underground cold-atom quantum sensor at the Boulby Underground Laboratory in North Yorkshire. 

The project could open a completely new frontier for quantum technology in the UK.   

The science behind the project 

Quantum physics explores how matter and light behave at atomic scales.  

By cooling atoms with precisely controlled lasers, scientists can slow them almost to a standstill – turning them into exquisitely sensitive probes of their environment.  

These ultra-cold atoms respond to tiny shifts in gravity, magnetic fields, and vibration, giving researchers a powerful new way to measure changes deep underground. 

Cold-atom sensors are already transforming fields such as navigation and geological surveying.  

But no one has ever tested how these advanced instruments perform in an ultra-quiet underground setting – until now.  

Why go underground? 

The Boulby Underground Laboratory, the UK’s deep underground science facility, sits inside a working polyhalite and salt mine near Whitby.  

Shielded by thick layers of rock, the clean, state-of-the-art experimental laboratory space, is one of the quietest scientific environments on Earth.  

This subterranean natural isolation blocks out cosmic rays, environmental noise, and other disturbances, which could prove valuable to delicate quantum measurements.  

For the QuASAR team, the underground setting is both a scientific opportunity and a major engineering challenge.  

Even transporting the experiment down the mine’s narrow lift shaft required careful planning.  

The researchers are now tackling the next phase: stabilising laser systems in a remote environment and ensuring the experiment can run reliably when scientists on the surface cannot reach it quickly.  

Growing collaboration and future potential 

Our partnership with Boulby has strengthened through regular site visits, shared problem-solving, and the recruitment of a jointly supported Quantum Apprentice Technician who will help propel QuASAR into its next stage.   

A Durham delegation, including our Vice-Chancellor Professor Karen O’Brien, recently visited Boulby to see first-hand the progress being made on site. 

QuASAR supports our ambition to grow scientific skills and innovation in the North East, while showcasing the region as a major contributor to global pioneering physics research.  

Supported by UKRI’s Science and Technology Facilities Council, the project could help shape the next generation of quantum technology – and uncover new physics waiting in the quiet depths below. 

Find out more 

• Learn more about Boulby Underground Laboratory. 
• Dr Danielle Pizzey and Professor Ifan Hughes are leading Durham’s involvement in QuASAR. 
• Discover more about the STFC. 
• Our Department of Physics is ranked 88th in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025 and third in the UK in the Complete University Guide 2026. Visit our Physics webpages for more information on our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.