The development of quantum technologies has reached a stage of widespread implementation. Quantum is beginning to change many fields, notably communications, sensing, and computing. These areas vary in complexity, but all rely on advances in the field of quantum mechanics. This article explores these different areas and highlights the top companies in each respected space that are pushing quantum technologies forward.
Quantum Sensing
The key advantage quantum technology brings to sensing is an unprecedented level of accuracy. This level of accuracy enables many new applications in fields that cannot afford to have inaccuracies. Such examples include healthcare, environmental monitoring, and national security. QLM Technology is leading the way in quantum sensing to help companies reach carbon zero through their precise measurements of greenhouse gas emissions. While carbon-zero timelines have moved from a progressive policy to a typical goal for many companies, new technology must be implemented to aid this endeavor. QLM technology offers a novel gas imaging camera, created using quantum technology at the University of Bristol, which integrates lidar and gas absorption spectroscopy with single-photon detection. The company is headquartered in San Francisco and has successfully raised $15.1 million in a Series A funding round led by Schlumberger.
Source: InsideQuantumTechnology
Quantum Communications
Another exciting field of quantum technologies, quantum communications, could alter the way people send and receive information. Most communication methods used today rely on the transmission of data through electromagnetic waves. With the implementation of quantum, users would send data through quantum particles (i.e photons and electrons). To the layman this may not sound like much of a breakthrough, in fact, it probably seems an overcomplication of an already functioning method. But the potential security advantages of quantum communications could be profound. In quantum communications, the quantum particles exist in multiple states at the same time, making it virtually impossible to intercept or eavesdrop on communication that is desired to be private. Startups such as AegiQ are looking to take advantage of this massive opportunity. The company is based in the UK, and received $1.4 million in funding from Innovate UK. This funding will be used to further develop quantum communications for fibre-optic and satellite-based applications. AegiQ is teaming up with companies from around the world in a global pilot project to rapidly scale their products.
Quantum Computing
The implementation of quantum computing proves the most complex, yet also holds the most potential. Quantum computing enables computers to run at dramatically faster speeds and process larger sets of data. The technology is dependent on the advancement of qubits. In traditional computing, bits are used, which can be a zero or a one. With qubits, this can be a zero, one, or superposition of both a zero and a one. This innovation allows quantum computing to solve complex problems that would otherwise take normal computers millions of years. Potential fields to be affected include cryptography, chemistry, physics, and much more. Most of the top technology companies are working on quantum computing solutions, a notable startup is NuQuantum. Co-founder and CEO, Carmen Palacios shared a quote that described the state of the Quantum Computing industry, and how NuQuantum will disrupt the space under her leadership, “’Quantum Computers are incredibly difficult to scale, because qubits are such sensitive, error-prone devices. Commercially-useful Quantum Computers will be Datacenter-scale machines, made of many small quantum computing units, interconnected by a quantum network. Scaling is the largest challenge faced by the industry across all kinds of qubits, and the only solution is to build efficient quantum networks - this is where Nu Quantum comes in, currently the global leader in this field. We will occupy a similar positioning in the industry as Cisco currently does in classical computing. We are working toward building some of the world’s first Distributed Quantum Computers.
Interestingly, quantum networks underpin not only quantum computing, but quantum communications and sensing too. Nu Quantum will be demonstrating a quantum secure communication network alongside British Telecom this summer.”
Source: Statista Digital Economy Compass