In this section, we share relevant insights to help you better understand quantum technologies and their potential impacts. Feel free to suggest topics!
What does Quantum mean?
Quantum physics, quantum mechanics, quantum science, or simply quantum, all are terms used to refer to a branch of physics which foundations were established as a theory in the 1920s. These theories have since been experimentally verified many times over the years and have long been accepted as scientific consensus.
This field of science describes the behavior of matter at the most fundamental scale—that is, at the level of electrons, photons, atoms, and molecules. Because it is not always possible to isolate such small subjects of study, observing quantum effects often requires extremely low pressures or very low temperatures to reduce their interactions with the environment.
What are Quantum technologies?
Quantum technologies are technologies that rely on certain effects of quantum mechanics. Today, the term generally refers to technologies belonging to the so-called second quantum revolution (or quantum technologies 2.0), as opposed to the first quantum revolution, which gave rise to technologies such as transistors, lasers, magnetic resonance imaging, and GPS.
These second-generation quantum technologies differ from their predecessors in that they are based on our ability to directly manipulate the quantum states of matter, rather than relying on collective statistical effects. This has been made possible by technological advances in related fields that now allow us to precisely control devices at the quantum scale.
Quantum technologies are grouped into four broad categories: quantum computing, quantum communications, quantum sensing, and quantum materials. Keep reading our posts to learn more about each of these.
Why all this hype around Quantum Computing?
Quantum computing and traditional (“classical”) computing are based on two completely different paradigms. A quantum computer relies on the concept of qubits, the quantum equivalent of classical bits. Unlike conventional bits, which can only take on the value 0 or 1, qubits can exist in a state of superposition between 0 and 1. In addition, multiple qubits can be entangled, meaning their states are linked together.
These two properties unique to quantum systems—superposition and entanglement—give quantum computers exceptional computational power for certain types of problems. Thanks to this, the resources required to process a problem on a quantum computer do not increase linearly with the size of the problem.
With a classical computer, processing a problem twice as large requires twice as many CPUs, twice the electricity, twice the space, and so on. With a quantum computer, adding just one qubit is enough to double its computing capacity. As a result, quantum computers could enable extremely complex calculations to be carried out in far less time than classical computers—or even make it possible to solve problems that are otherwise simply unsolvable.
Quantum and Cybersecurity: Threat or opportunity?
In our last post, we described the promise of quantum computing. But in the wrong hands, a quantum computer could unfortunately also become a terrible weapon. Indeed, once it reaches its full potential, a quantum computer will be capable of decrypting most of the encrypted information circulating on our communication networks. Realistically, this is not expected for another ten years or so, but the threat is already very real. Hackers today can already store data in transit with the intention of decrypting it later, once the technology is available. Any data with a lifespan of more than ten years is therefore already at risk.
Fortunately, solutions exist. One of them actually comes from quantum science itself: creating encryption keys derived from quantum systems. Thanks to the laws of quantum physics, quantum key distribution (QKD) is theoretically unbreakable. Another approach is to implement mathematical algorithms in software that are—at least until proven otherwise—impossible to solve by either classical or quantum computers. This is what is known as post-quantum cryptography (PQC).
Quantum Sensing – What about it?
In recent posts, we’ve discussed quantum computing and cybersecurity. Today, we turn to their “overlooked little sibling”: quantum sensors, which can also have a disruptive impact on many industries.
By leveraging quantum phenomena, quantum sensors can achieve unmatched levels of sensitivity, precision, range, and stability. This gives them a competitive edge in industries where every performance gain matters—such as defense, medical research, energy, aerospace, and more.
Examples of quantum sensors include ultra-stable atomic clocks (used in GPS), advanced medical imaging, long-range radar/LiDAR, ultra-sensitive magnetic field sensors (magnetometers), and more robust gravity sensors (gravimeters).
Beyond their technical advantages, quantum sensors represent a compelling investment opportunity because they can reach the market relatively quickly. They target an existing and rapidly growing market, driven by the rise of the Internet of Things, data science, and AI. They’re also generally simpler to build and control compared to other quantum systems like quantum computers.
What is Quantum Error Correction all about?
Quantum computers are subject to errors. Indeed, the operations they perform are not entirely reliable. This is partly because quantum computers rely on extremely small, unstable, and sensitive physical elements—such as atoms or individual photons—which are difficult to control. On top of that, the systems we use to manipulate qubits and carry out operations are themselves imperfect. A further difficulty comes from the very nature of qubits: every quantum system is inherently probabilistic. In other words, uncertainty is part of their DNA. It’s a fundamental law of quantum mechanics.
But this is not necessarily catastrophic. Classical computers also made errors in their early days—and still do, even today. Over time, however, the industry developed highly reliable protocols to detect and correct errors in real time, to the point that users today are no longer aware of them.
And that is precisely what the quantum community is working on right now. The solution exists: that is error correction codes, such as the surface code or bosonic codes. Some challenges remain, however, in putting them into practice. In particular, for these codes to be effective, qubit performance levels must still be improved beyond a minimum threshold required by each code.