Representatives of the Institute of Electronics and Computer Science (EDI), Laboratory of Integrated Circuits and Systems (ICS), Agata Kušnina and Marks Jānis Ratniks participated in Europe’s leading RISC-V processor conference, “RISC-V Summit Europe 2026”, held on June 8-11, 2026 in Bologna, Italy.
As part of the event, EDI employees demonstrated a RISC-V-powered quantum sensor system developed by the ICS Laboratory team. The prototype is designed for extremely accurate magnetic field measurements even at room temperature, without the need for cryogenic cooling, using nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center defects in diamond.
At the Summit, A. Kušnina and M. Ratniks emphasized the vision of EDI ICS: bridging the gap between fundamental physical phenomena and real-life applications. The concept of NV magnetometry was explained, namely that a nitrogen-vacancy center is a point defect in the regular crystal lattice of diamond. When irradiated with a green laser, it emits red light, the intensity of which can be used to obtain the optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) spectrum. By determining the frequencies of the fluorescence dips, it is possible to reconstruct the magnetic field pattern in a specified region of space.
Integrating a RISC-V processor into the quantum magnetometer system makes it possible to achieve highly efficient sensor readout and to develop an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), thereby miniaturizing the existing prototype.
Quantum magnetometers—devices capable of detecting magnetic fields with very high accuracy—have a wide range of applications, including localization when Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals are unavailable, as well as in biomedicine, microscopy, and other fields.
The EDI quantum magnetometer demonstration in the DevZone section of the conference attracted strong interest, particularly due to the generic event-based architecture developed by EDI ICS. The concept incorporates an open-source RISC-V processor used to coordinate measurements, enabling both continuous-wave optically detected magnetic resonance (CW-ODMR) and pulse-based techniques, which offer considerably higher magnetic field measurement accuracy.
During the conference, networking events were also held, where EDI colleagues established new contacts, outlining future cooperation opportunities. Additionally, plenary panel discussions addressed the most urgent challenges of the RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) processor development philosophy, which aims at achieving shorter CPU times and higher energy efficiency by reducing the number of instructions.
As part of the event, A. Kušnina also participated in the “Women in Tech” forum, where she actively engaged in discussions on the role of women in technological progress and the promotion of gender equality, and was invited to take part in the “Female Frontiers” motivational talk series.
EDI submitted proposal for the “RISC-V Summit Europe 2026″ isavailable here: