Quantum sensing and metrology patents: who leads, and what's still open
Concentrated but not locked up. the top 5 assignees hold 31.7% of all 687 records in scope, and the top 10 hold 46.7% — leaving well over half the field to a long tail of single- and few-filing entrants. Filings climbed from 8 in 2017 to a peak of 124 in 2023, with 2021-to-2024 complete-year data showing a 22% rise (82 to 100). 2025 and 2026 figures are still filling in under the usual publication lag and should not be read as a slowdown.
- 1GOOGLE LLC89
- 2STRONG FORCE IOT PORTFOLIO 2016 LLC47
- 3PRESIDENT & FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE31
- 4MASSACHUSETTS INST OF TECH28
- 5ALIRO TECHNOLOGIES INC23
See the full quantum sensing & metrology patent landscape analysis in Eureka
- The complete ranking, not just the top five
- Every IPC branch with its share of the corpus
- The most-cited records, and where claim space is still thin
Common questions on quantum sensing patents
Who holds the most patents in quantum sensing and metrology?
One assignee leads the ranked field with 89 records, well ahead of the fifth-place holder at 23 and tenth place at 20. The top 5 assignees combined account for 31.7% of all 687 records in scope, and the top 10 for 46.7%, which leaves more than half the corpus spread across a long tail of smaller filers. This is a concentrated-but-open field rather than one locked up by a single owner, so new entrants still have meaningful room to establish a position.
Is quantum sensing patent filing activity growing?
Yes, based on complete-year data: filings rose from 82 in 2021 to 100 in 2024, a 22% increase, after touching a peak of 124 in 2023. Figures for 2025 and 2026 appear lower in the raw data, but that reflects the roughly 18-month lag between filing and publication rather than a real slowdown. Treat any year within the last 18 months as provisional and expect it to rise as more filings publish.
What technology areas dominate quantum sensing patent claims?
G06N, the classification for AI-model computing, appears in 71.2% of the 687 records in this corpus, far ahead of the classical measurement classes G01R (8.3%) and G01N (8.0%). That skew indicates most claim activity centres on the control, calibration and signal-processing logic around a quantum sensor rather than on the sensing hardware itself. A filer targeting pure sensing-element hardware is competing in a comparatively less crowded class.
Disclaimer. This analysis is based on Patsnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent records and is provided for general information and reference only. Patent data carries inherent limitations — recent filings are under-counted because of publication lag, counts may be on a record or family basis, classification and applicant-name data may contain errors or duplicates, and the underlying search query defines the scope shown — so the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
Nothing here is an exhaustive prior-art, novelty, freedom-to-operate or validity search, nor does it constitute legal, financial or professional advice, and it should not be relied upon as such. Verify independently and review with qualified patent and legal professionals before acting on it.
Method: Filing trend and technology composition. Derived from a Patsnap search on Quantum Sensing & Metrology Patent Landscape covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-08-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish. Every share divides by all records in scope. Data: Patsnap Eureka. See the full landscape report.