Quantum Technology Is Already Here

One hundred years in the past, in 1925, key developments launched the sphere now generally known as quantum science. These included the primary use of the time period quantum mechanics in a scientific publication and a breakthrough equation by Ernst Schrödinger in Arosa, Switzerland. To commemorate this scientific revolution and its impacts, UNESCO has declared 2025 the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology.

Incredible advances with direct societal affect have been made due to quantum mechanics. Already within the first quantum revolution, from the early to mid-Twentieth century, quantum advances led to the start of the semiconductor and photonic industries, and improvements similar to lasers, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), and atomic clocks (GPS).

As we embark on the second quantum revolution, scientists are unlocking unprecedented management over particular person photons and atoms. By leveraging the exceptional phenomena of tunneling, superposition and entanglement, quantum applied sciences are opening new frontiers in sensing, simulation, safe communications and computing.

At EPFL, researchers are doing groundbreaking work in most of those thrilling new fields. To foster connections between analysis, training and innovation in quantum at EPFL, the Center for Quantum Science and Engineering (QSE Center) opened in 2021. It brings collectively main scientists from physics, pc science and engineering, to develop quantum applied sciences and helps help Switzerland’s quantum future with grants, partnerships and public engagement.

EPFL’s scientific management, dedication to training and transformative applied sciences place it as a key participant within the quickly evolving quantum panorama. As the second quantum revolution advances, the work being performed right here is ready to drive important breakthroughs and form the way forward for quantum science and expertise.

Quantum is in every single place

“Building a large number of robust qubits for quantum computing is notoriously hard and will take time, but quantum systems are already seeing real-life applications in other domains, such as quantum communication and quantum sensing,” says Philippe Caroff, govt director of the QSE Center. “With single atoms, light particles or crystals, we can map electromagnetic fields of the earth and the brain, for instance. Companies have already demonstrated market-ready products for navigation and medical imaging.”

Bad qubits make good sensors

Because qubits are extremely delicate to vibrations, temperature and electromagnetic fields, they’re troublesome to construct into a big quantum pc. However, this property turns single qubits into extraordinarily good sensors which might be straightforward to combine with classical applied sciences. As a consequence, quantum sensor merchandise are already on par with or higher than their classical counterparts in real-life functions.

“In quantum sensing, we take a quantum object, usually a single atom, and use some of its quantum properties, like coherence and entanglement. These individual quantum systems end up being very sensitive,” says Jean-Philippe Brantut, head of the Laboratory for Quantum Gases.

Already, there are very exact gravimeters that can be utilized for geo-exploration and mining, and magnetometers which can be utilized for navigation in areas with GPS blackouts, similar to in fight zones, underwater, or within the excessive mountains.

Monitoring the center

These similar sensors can be utilized for medical imaging, which is what Clément Javerzac, professor at Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz (FHNW) and EPFL alumnus is engaged on each as a researcher and thru his startup MatterDecoder.

“We use these sensors to image the magnetic field of the heart, which is seven orders of magnitude smaller than the geomagnetic field,” Javerzac explains. “This can help diagnose coronary artery disease, the leading cause of death worldwide.”

With coronary artery illness, the coronary arteries get blocked and the center doesn’t get the oxygen it wants, resulting in lack of coronary heart muscle and finally a coronary heart assault. These quantum sensors can map the center and determine anomalies, resulting in an early analysis and remedy of the pathology.

“We put a small box that contains sensors close to the chest to measure the magnetic field,” Javerzac says. “It takes a few minutes, and then we can give data to the doctors. It’s a noninvasive method that involves no radiation to the patient.”

Big potential for small information units

While most of the largest objectives for quantum computing nonetheless stay out of attain, there are already quantum computer systems accessible on the cloud that can be utilized by anybody, together with EPFL college students.

“In 2016, we at EPFL were the first university, with the University of Waterloo and MIT, to introduce IBM Quantum for teaching, a quantum technology that anyone could connect to from anywhere in the world on the cloud, whereas a few years before it was only in the best labs in the world,” says Javerzac. “It’s been fascinating to see the evolution. Today, you can access quantum processing units (QPUs) with many more good qubits compared to just a few years ago.”

Questions of the universe

Meanwhile, Brantut is exploring with collaborators some large elementary physics questions, such because the dynamics of black holes, by mapping a mannequin of their physics equations on a well-controlled and tunable cloud of atoms. The equations describing their evolution can be just like these of precise black holes, that are inaccessible to spacecraft as a consequence of their excessive gravity.

“Quantum is strange,” concludes Brantut. “Because of this it may be fantastic, nevertheless it additionally continues to be puzzling. We are at all times engaged on turning it into one thing that’s helpful, however for me, it is nonetheless on the level the place we’ll get surprises.