This paper will be of interest to those planning to leverage the quantum industry to solve challenges in their sectors, and are looking for insight into the next stages of development of the burgeoning UK quantum industry. In order to address the current and future research needs for test and evaluation of quantum technologies, the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is currently: 1. Developing (adaptable) roadmaps. 2. Identifying common test and evaluation needs across sectors. 3. Addressing the need for independent testing. 4. Developing standards and regulations for quantum testing and evaluation needs. 5. Exploring the skills and knowledge necessary for quantum testing and evaluation research and facility resourcing.
This paper will be of interest to those planning to leverage the quantum industry to solve challenges in their sectors, and are looking for insight into the next stages of development of the burgeoning UK quantum industry. In order to address the current and future research needs for test and evaluation of quantum technologies, the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is currently: 1. Developing (adaptable) roadmaps. 2. Identifying common test and evaluation needs across sectors. 3. Addressing the need for independent testing. 4. Developing standards and regulations for quantum testing and evaluation needs. 5. Exploring the skills and knowledge necessary for quantum testing and evaluation research and facility resourcing.
Industrial technologies based on the production, manipulation, and detection of single and entangled photons are emerging, and quantum key distribution via optical fibre is one of the most commercially-advanced. The National Physical Laboratory is developing traceable performance metrology for the quantum devices used in these technologies. This is part of a broader effort to develop metrological techniques and standards to accelerate the development and commercial uptake of new industrial quantum communication technologies based on single photons. This presentation will give an overview of the work carried out at NPL and within the wider European community, and highlight plans for the future.
The UK National Quantum Technology Hub in Sensors and Metrology is one of four flagship initiatives in the UK National of Quantum Technology Program. As part of a 20-year vision it translates laboratory demonstrations to deployable practical devices, with game-changing miniaturized components and prototypes that transform the state-of-the-art for quantum sensors and metrology. It brings together experts from the Universities of Birmingham, Glasgow, Nottingham, Southampton, Strathclyde and Sussex, NPL and currently links to over 15 leading international academic institutions and over 70 companies to build the supply chains and routes to market needed to bring 10–1000x improvements in sensing applications. It seeks, and is open to, additional partners for new application development and creates a point of easy open access to the facilities and supply chains that it stimulates or nurtures.
Abstract The UK has, through a mix of government and industry funding, committed more than £1Bn over ten years to a coordinated programme in quantum technology. Five years into this programme, the UK National Quantum Technology Programme has induced a step change in the nation’s capabilities for establishing a new sector in future quantum information technologies. We describe how the programme arose and the activities it has supported and influenced to deliver these new capabilities, building on a first phase of over £385M investment across several UK government agencies. As the programme enters its second phase, with a further substantial investment by UK government and global industries, we review the prospects for ensuring the advanced quantum science and demonstrator platforms in imaging, sensing, timing, communications and computing developed over the past five years drive the formation of the sector and embed quantum tech in a broad range of industries by means of new products and services.
Quantum technologies are based on the properties of atoms, electrons and photons. Quantum physics describes the behaviour of these fundamental units which can behave either like waves or like particles, resulting in many extraordinary properties. They can provide unchanging standards to use for measurement and their 'quantum' behaviour can potentially create a completely new class of advanced environmental sensors and systems, with radically new capabilities for timing and navigation, secure communications, driverless cars, computing and other critical applications. NPL has initiated a wide-ranging programme, based on its applied metrology expertise, which focuses on the many ways in which NPL, as the UK’s National Metrology Institute, can contribute to the development of quantum technologies into usable products and services. Through its new programme, NPL will lead on the creation of a comprehensive capability to test and evaluate prototypes and new products, which are based on quantum technologies. The programme will involve establishing new measurement methods and protocols which will contribute to new international standards, in collaboration with partners around the world. This talk will outline the key elements of the programme and how it fits within the UK’s National Quantum Technologies Programme (NQTP), as well as some key initial projects.
The great promise of quantum computers comes with the dual challenges of building them and finding their useful applications.We argue that these two challenges should be considered together, by codesigning full-stack quantum computer systems along with their applications in order to hasten their development and potential for scientific discovery.In this context, we identify scientific and community needs, opportunities, a sampling of a few use case studies, and significant challenges for the development of quantum computers for science over the next 2-10 years.This document is written by a community of university, national laboratory, and industrial researchers in the field of Quantum Information Science and Technology, and is based on a summary from a U.S.
A new generation of quantum technology based systems, exploiting effects such as superposition and entanglement, will enable widespread, highly disruptive applications which are expected to be of great economic significance. However, the technology is only just emerging from the physics laboratory and generally remains at low TRLs. The question is: where, and when, will this impact be first manifest? The UK, with substantial Government backing, has embarked on an ambitious national program to accelerate the process of technology transfer with the objective of seizing a significant and sustainable share of the future economic benefit for the UK. Many challenges and uncertainties remain but the combined and co-ordinated efforts of Government, Industry and Academia are making great progress. The level of collaboration is unusually high and the goal of embedding a “QT Ecosystem” in the UK looks to be attainable. This paper describes the UK national programme, its key players, and their respective roles. It will illustrate some of the likely first commercial applications and provide a status update. Some of the challenges that might prevent realisation of the goal will be highlighted.