Quantum sensing, computing, and communication offer some significant improvements on classical technologies, in some cases create fundamentally new capabilities. Quantum technologies are quickly arriving. Even if the most hyped promises in quantum computing are not realized in the next decade, in the near term quantum sensing could shift relationships irrevocably. This book has painted the landscape of quantum's implications---from nation-state concerns of strategic conflict, intelligence gathering, and law enforcement activities; to the concerns of companies that may be subject to industrial policy priorities and restrictions; to the level of the individual who may face institutions with great asymmetries in sensing and sense-making power. This chapter concludes with a forecast of quantum technology scenarios, with forecasts for each quantum technology analyzed in this book, and with a summary of the most important policy issues to pursue.
Quantum sensing, computing, and communication offer some significant improvements on classical technologies, in some cases create fundamentally new capabilities. Quantum technologies are quickly arriving. Even if the most hyped promises in quantum computing are not realized in the next decade, in the near term quantum sensing could shift relationships irrevocably. This book has painted the landscape of quantum's implications---from nation-state concerns of strategic conflict, intelligence gathering, and law enforcement activities; to the concerns of companies that may be subject to industrial policy priorities and restrictions; to the level of the individual who may face institutions with great asymmetries in sensing and sense-making power. This chapter concludes with a forecast of quantum technology scenarios, with forecasts for each quantum technology analyzed in this book, and with a summary of the most important policy issues to pursue.
Over the past century, quantum theory has taken flight from conceptual breakthroughs, such as wave–particle duality, quantisation of energy, and the uncertainty principle, to practical tools that are the backbone of modern electronics, lasers, semiconductors, and precision measurement systems. In the twenty-first century, this progress under the regime of the second quantum revolution has acquired the ability to directly control, manipulate, and engineer individual quantum systems. Quantum technologies found their pillars in quantum properties, such as superposition, entanglement, and coherence and have exceeded the boundaries of classical physics. The steady theoretical advances, combined with experimental progress, have brought quantum concepts closer to real-life use. Significant progress has made in filed of computation, communication, sensing, navigation, medicine, cyber security, and national defense undr the guidance of quantum technology. This book chapter presents a comprehensive and pedagogical overview of quantum technologies. It highlights quantum computing, quantum communication, and quantum sensing and metrology. The shift of quantum mechanics into practical applications is discussed. Current research trends are reviewed alongside the technological and engineering challenges. The critical issues, such as decoherence, scalability, error correction, standardisation, and workforce development, are discussed, which further highlights the need for global collaboration. Both National governments and the private sector are investing heavily in quantum research. This will act as a booster for quantum technologies to revolutionise information processing, secure communications, and precision measurements. Consequently and will significantly impact the scientific and technological landscape.
Quantum sensing is the most exciting quantum technology and it has the most potential to change our lives in the next decade and beyond. Quantum sensors will offer new capabilities with benefits for medicine, defense, intelligence, extractive industries and many others. Quantum sensing is a precursor technology to quantum computing and communications. Quantum sensors use quantum properties and effects to measure or sense physical things. This chapter explores quantum sensing as a topic in its own right, because the capabilities of quantum sensing are surprising and offer new forms of knowledge discovery and at new levels of analysis. Furthermore quantum sensors are here today---indeed, they have been in use for more than fifty years.
Over the past century, quantum theory has taken flight from conceptual breakthroughs, such as wave–particle duality, quantisation of energy, and the uncertainty principle, to practical tools that are the backbone of modern electronics, lasers, semiconductors, and precision measurement systems. In the twenty-first century, this progress under the regime of the second quantum revolution has acquired the ability to directly control, manipulate, and engineer individual quantum systems.Quantum technologies found their pillars in quantum properties, such as superposition, entanglement, and coherence and have exceeded the boundaries of classical physics. The steady theoretical advances, combined with experimental progress, have brought quantum concepts closer to real-life use. Significant progress has made in filed of computation, communication, sensing, navigation, medicine, cyber security, and national defense undr the guidance of quantum technology.This book chapter presents a comprehensive and pedagogical overview of quantum technologies. It highlights quantum computing, quantum communication, and quantum sensing and metrology. The shift of quantum mechanics into practical applications is discussed. Current research trends are reviewed alongside the technological and engineering challenges. The critical issues, such as decoherence, scalability, error correction, standardisation, and workforce development, are discussed, which further highlights the need for global collaboration. Both National governments and the private sector are investing heavily in quantum research. This will act as a booster for quantum technologies to revolutionise information processing, secure communications, and precision measurements. Consequently and will significantly impact the scientific and technological landscape.
Quantum technologies, spanning communication, sensing, computing, and cryptography, are rapidly emerging as critical paths of geopolitical competition and strategic defence innovation. Unlike traditional technological advances, quantum introduces novel capabilities that fundamentally disrupt established norms of security, intelligence, and diplomatic engagement. This strategic analysis explores the evolving quantum landscape through the dual lenses of diplomacy and geopolitics, with specific implications for defence leaders, policymakers, and industry stakeholders. The benefits and challenges of quantum technologies are examined from a diplomatic and geopolitical perspective to help leaders make informed strategic decisions. Leading powers now recognise quantum as a domain where technological leadership directly translates to geopolitical influence, compelling an intense race for dominance alongside new forms of multilateral diplomacy aimed at managing both risks and opportunities. Quantum technologies do not all have the same operational maturity, but technological progress is accelerating. Post-quantum cryptography demands immediate action, every encrypted communication created today may be harvested and decrypted within the decade by adversaries equipped with quantum capabilities.
It is often said that quantum technologies are poised to change the world as we know it, but cutting through the hype, what will quantum technologies actually mean for countries and their citizens? In Law and Policy for the Quantum Age, Chris Jay Hoofnagle and Simson L. Garfinkel explain the genesis of quantum information science (QIS) and the resulting quantum technologies that are most exciting: quantum sensing, computing, and communication. This groundbreaking, timely text explains how quantum technologies work, how countries will likely employ QIS for future national defense and what the legal landscapes will be for these nations, and how companies might (or might not) profit from the technology. Hoofnagle and Garfinkel argue that the consequences of QIS are so profound that we must begin planning for them today. This title is available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.
Abstract: The past decade has witnessed considerable hope—and no small measure of hyperbole and fear—regarding a coming "revolution" in quantum computing, sensing, and communication. With states and multinational corporations investing billions of dollars globally, there have been incremental advances punctuated by notable breakthroughs, and several second-generation quantum technologies are already being field-tested and tentatively deployed. While it is premature to declare the arrival of a "quantum age," the disruptive impact and existential anxieties elicited by generative AI underscore that now is the time to consider the potential consequences of quantum tipping points. In this article, we embark on a speculative journey—a Gedankenexperiment, if you will—exploring how the pursuit to develop and deploy quantum technologies might reshape the international geopolitical landscape.