In collaboration with the Institute of Theoretical and Computational Physics of the University of Crete, and with the support of the Regional Government of Crete, we are developing a synchronised magnetometer network to monitor in real time the geomagnetic field variations due to all urban activities having a magnetic footprint. The initial network will feature four nodes, one at the University of Crete campus, and another three in the city of Heraklion.

This work is an application of quantum technology in a complex environment, which can involve different spatial scales, ranging from a major infrastructure, to urban and suburban scales. It also involves big data exquisitely rich in information.

In the context of smart cities, the geomagnetic field carries a wealth of information reflecting urban dynamics, like energy consumption and transport dynamics. In suburban scales it can convey information about seismological or meteorological activity.