Abstract The development of quantum technology has opened up exciting opportunities to revolutionize computing and communication, timing and navigation systems, enable noninvasive imaging of the human body, and probe fundamental physics with unprecedented precision. Alongside these advancements has come an increase in experimental complexity and a correspondingly greater dependence on compact, efficient and reliable hardware. The drive to move quantum technologies from laboratory prototypes to portable, real‐world instruments has incentivized miniaturization of experimental systems relating to a strong demand for smaller, more robust, and less power‐hungry quantum hardware and for increasingly specialized and intricate components. Additive manufacturing, already heralded as game‐changing for many manufacturing sectors, is especially well‐suited to this task owing to the comparatively large amount of design freedom it enables and its ability to produce intricate 3D forms and specialized components. Herein we review work conducted to date on the application of additive manufacturing to quantum technologies, discuss the current state of the art in additive manufacturing in optics, optomechanics, magnetic components and vacuum equipment, and consider pathways for future advancement. We also give an overview of the research and application areas most likely to be impacted by the deployment of additive manufacturing techniques within the quantum technology sector.
Abstract The development of quantum technology has opened up exciting opportunities to revolutionize computing and communication, timing and navigation systems, enable noninvasive imaging of the human body, and probe fundamental physics with unprecedented precision. Alongside these advancements has come an increase in experimental complexity and a correspondingly greater dependence on compact, efficient and reliable hardware. The drive to move quantum technologies from laboratory prototypes to portable, real‐world instruments has incentivized miniaturization of experimental systems relating to a strong demand for smaller, more robust, and less power‐hungry quantum hardware and for increasingly specialized and intricate components. Additive manufacturing, already heralded as game‐changing for many manufacturing sectors, is especially well‐suited to this task owing to the comparatively large amount of design freedom it enables and its ability to produce intricate 3D forms and specialized components. Herein we review work conducted to date on the application of additive manufacturing to quantum technologies, discuss the current state of the art in additive manufacturing in optics, optomechanics, magnetic components and vacuum equipment, and consider pathways for future advancement. We also give an overview of the research and application areas most likely to be impacted by the deployment of additive manufacturing techniques within the quantum technology sector.
Novel quantum technologies and devices place unprecedented demands on the performance of experimental components, while their widespread deployment beyond the laboratory necessitates increased robustness and fast affordable production.We show how the use of additive manufacturing, together with mathematical optimization techniques and innovative designs, allows the production of compact lightweight components with greatly enhanced performance.We use such components to produce a magneto-optical trap that captures approximately 2 × 10 8 rubidium atoms, employing for this purpose a compact and highly stable device for spectroscopy and optical power distribution, optimized neodymium magnet arrays for magnetic field generation, and a lightweight additively manufactured ultrahigh-vacuum chamber.We show how the use of additive manufacturing enables substantial weight reduction and stability enhancement, while also illustrating the transferability of our approach to experiments and devices across the quantum technology sector and beyond.
Recent advances in the preparation, control and measurement of atomic gases have led to new insights into the quantum world and unprecedented metrological sensitivities, e.g. in measuring gravitational forces and magnetic fields. The full potential of applying such capabilities to areas as diverse as biomedical imaging, non-invasive underground mapping, and GPS-free navigation can only be realised with the scalable production of efficient, robust and portable devices. We introduce additive manufacturing as a production technique of quantum device components with unrivalled design freedom and rapid prototyping. This provides a step change in efficiency, compactness and facilitates systems integration. As a demonstrator we present an ultrahigh vacuum compatible ultracold atom source dissipating less than ten milliwatts of electrical power during field generation to produce large samples of cold rubidium gases. This disruptive technology opens the door to drastically improved integrated structures, which will further reduce size and assembly complexity in scalable series manufacture of bespoke portable quantum devices.
Photons are very promising resources for the whole field of quantum information processing. Bulk optics are currently not suitable for the realization of complex quantum optical schemes due to several drawbacks. The ongoing miniaturization of photonic structures due to the availability of sophisticated nanofabrication has provided huge opportunities for physical research of novel phenomena in nanophotonic systems and quantum technological applications. These include quantum information processing such as quantum computing, quantum communication, quantum metrology, and quantum sensing. Quantum communication is already quite advanced with several quantum key distribution (QKD) systems commercially available offering absolute security. Photonic quantum technologies are enabling breakthroughs in experimental tests of quantum physics and are close to practical applications of quantum technologies in imaging, secure communications, ultrasensitive metrology and quantum computing. There are several advantages to encoding a quantum bit onto a photon: the preparation and manipulation of single photons is easy, and the photonic qubit is a natural candidate for quantum imaging and communications. Furthermore, the qubit can be encoded in various degrees of freedom such as on the position, phase, time-bin, energy, angular momentum, polarization of the photon—or a combination of these. This flexibility leads to enormous opportunities for scientific exploration and in practical applications. This special issue on “Photonic Quantum Technologies” presents selected papers on photonic quantum systems from leading groups in the world. The articles represent a flavor of the cutting-edge research that is going on in this area. The studied material systems range from molecules to semiconductor quantum emitters. A major challenge is the design of telecom photon emitters with high efficiency, good yield, spectral purity, stability and the possibility of mass manufacture. We believe that this Special Issue will provide an overview of recent exciting developments in the field of photonic quantum technologies, serving to keep researchers up-to-date with the latest progress and spurring on new concepts in this field.
This chapter examines the revolutionary impact of quantum computing on manufacturing and industrial design. Quantum computing enhances material design through advanced simulations, enabling the discovery of innovative materials with improved properties. Optimized production processes and streamlined supply chains are achievable via quantum algorithms, reducing costs, and boosting efficiency. Industrial design benefits from quantum simulations that foster precision and creativity. Robotics and automation are further advanced by quantum computing, resulting in smarter, more adaptable systems. In addition, quantum approaches revolutionize chemical synthesis and energy optimization, promoting sustainable manufacturing practices. Predictive maintenance and quality control are transformed through quantum-enhanced analytics, ensuring reliability and operational excellence in Industry 4.0. The chapter also explores quantum computing’s role in mitigating risks in industrial processes, improving logistic operations, and refining inventory management. Enhanced product lifecycle management is another key focus, as quantum technologies enable smarter resource utilization and reduced downtime. By integrating these applications, quantum computing promises a significant leap in efficiency, innovation, and sustainability within the manufacturing sector. This chapter emphasizes the strategic potential of quantum technologies to address complex challenges and unlock unprecedented opportunities, reshaping the future of industrial design and manufacturing.
Recent advances in the understanding and control of quantum technologies, such as those based on cold atoms, have resulted in devices with extraordinary metrological sensitivities. To realise this potential outside of a lab environment the size, weight and power consumption need to be reduced. Here we demonstrate the use of laser powder bed fusion, an additive manufacturing technique, as a production technique for the components that make up quantum sensors. As a demonstration we have constructed two key components using additive manufacturing, namely magnetic shielding and vacuum chambers. The initial prototypes for magnetic shields show shielding factors within a factor of 3 of conventional approaches. The vacuum demonstrator device shows that 3D-printed titanium structures are suitable for use as vacuum chambers, with the test system reaching base pressures of 5±0.5×10−10 mbar, and showing an outgassing rate indistinguishable from a commercial ConFlat flange in this pressure regime. These demonstrations show considerable promise for the use of additive manufacturing for cold atom based quantum technologies, in future enabling improved integrated structures, allowing for the reduction in size, weight and assembly complexity.
Quantum computing is increasingly seen as a disruptive technology capable of expanding the computational limits of advanced manufacturing systems within the emerging Industry 5.0 framework. By utilizing quantum mechanical principles such as superposition, entanglement, and quantum parallelism, quantum computation enables new approaches to solving complex optimization, simulation, and data-intensive problems that are challenging or impractical for classical computers. This paper offers a comprehensive and critical review of the potential impacts of quantum computing on advanced manufacturing, focusing on intelligent production planning, supply chain optimization, materials discovery, predictive maintenance, and human–machine collaboration, key aspects of Industry 5.0. The originality of this review lies in its integrated analysis of quantum computing alongside artificial intelligence, digital twins, and cyber–physical systems, highlighting how these technologies, when combined, improve decision-making speed, process efficiency, and sustainability. Despite these opportunities, the integration of quantum computing into Industry 5.0 systems faces critical challenges, including hardware limitations, algorithm scalability, data security concerns, workforce readiness, and the complexity of integrating quantum solutions with existing industrial infrastructures. The role of hybrid quantum-classical architectures is examined as a feasible and transitional approach for near-term manufacturing applications. By critically assessing both technological strengths and practical constraints, this review positions quantum computing as a promising enabler of resilient, human-centered, and sustainable manufacturing ecosystems. The insights aim to assist researchers, industry players, and policymakers in strategically managing the integration of quantum technologies as manufacturing systems advance toward Industry 5.0.