With a wide range of promising applications arising from unprecedented computing performance, quantum computing has recently received great attention. This technology that relies on quantum superposition and quantum entanglement can be realized in various physical platforms such as superconducting quantum devices, optical systems, semiconductor nanostructures and neutral atoms and so on. The Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS), the national metrology institute of Korea, is actively carrying out research on quantum computing technologies with its extensive experience and expertise obtained from the development of measurement standards and precision measurement technologies based on diverse physical systems. In this article, we briefly discuss quantum computing research activities at KRISS.
With a wide range of promising applications arising from unprecedented computing performance, quantum computing has recently received great attention. This technology that relies on quantum superposition and quantum entanglement can be realized in various physical platforms such as superconducting quantum devices, optical systems, semiconductor nanostructures and neutral atoms and so on. The Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS), the national metrology institute of Korea, is actively carrying out research on quantum computing technologies with its extensive experience and expertise obtained from the development of measurement standards and precision measurement technologies based on diverse physical systems. In this article, we briefly discuss quantum computing research activities at KRISS.
Quantum technologies are at the cusp of a new technological revolution, with quantum computing and quantum sensing emerging as two of its most transformative domains. This review paper provides an in-depth analysis of these fields, exploring their fundamental principles, hardware implementations, and the challenges that hinder their widespread adoption. Quantum computing, leveraging superposition and entanglement, promises to solve intractable computational problems in areas like drug discovery, materials science, and cryptography. Concurrently, quantum sensing exploits the inherent sensitivity of quantum systems to external perturbations, enabling unprecedented precision in metrology, medical diagnostics, and navigation. We delve into the diverse hardware platforms for each field, including superconducting qubits, trapped ions, NV centers in diamond, and cold atoms. A central theme of this review is the symbiotic relationship between quantum computing and quantum sensing, illustrating how advancements in one area directly accelerate progress in the other. Finally, we discuss the current state of the art, identify key technical and engineering challenges, and provide an outlook on future directions and potential societal impacts.
Quantum computing can transform the field of highly-precise measurement systems in the physical sciences with new levels of sensitivity, resolution, and capability to compute data. Quantum-enhanced measurement systems may also reach levels of precision that are constrained by the inherent quantum noise due to quantum superposition, entanglement and coherence. This opens up to innovations in such research as magnetic field sensing, atomic clock synchronization, and seeing gravitational waves. Quantum computing can be used to retrieve high-fidelity information in noisy data, improvements in signal-to-noise ratios by quantum techniques, like phase estimation and the Quantum Fourier Transform, are possible, and quantum techniques have been demonstrated to surpass classical limits. Moreover, quantum sensors that are integrated into quantum computing structures make real-time feedback and adaptive measurement methods feasible, dynamically optimising system efficiency. Moreover, quantity metrology combined with quantum computing enables sensitive studies in fundamental physics, including experimental tests of quantum gravity or a study of the dark matter. Current developments in error correction and hardware design are rapidly enhancing the usefulness of quantum systems in practice, even in the face of the current technological challenges of qubit decoherence and scalability. This paper discusses the current state of quantum computing in the field of precision measurement and potential future directions, the way that quantum computing might transform the physical sciences and push the boundaries of experimental accuracy.
The Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) has played an important role in advancing photometry and radiometry metrology, contributing significantly to the establishment and evolution of measurement standards. KRISS has actively participated in international collaborations, including 10 comparisons under the Consultative Committee for Photometry and Radiometry Key Comparisons (CCPR-KC) and 10 comparisons under the Asia Pacific Metrology Programme (APMP-KC and -SC), serving as a pilot institute in 7 cases. KRISS has led cutting-edge research in photon-based radiometric measurement standards, particularly focusing on the realization and dissemination of the SI base unit, candela. This research aligns with the growing global interest in photon-based technologies and their applications. Notable achievements include the world’s first testing services for Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) equipment, addressing emerging demands in quantum communication. Moreover, through the establishment of the spin-off company Qrad, KRISS aims to commercialize critical quantum technologies, such as single-photon sources, photon detectors, and performance evaluation systems. As the founding chair of the Few Photon Metrology Working Group under the CCPR, KRISS has spearheaded international collaborative research, positioning itself as a leader in future global standardization initiatives. The institute’s contributions extend to addressing evolving demands in strategic national industries, including space and defense, by developing broadband optical radiation measurement standards across UV to SWIR regions and advancing photometric quantum technologies. To meet the challenges posed by these demands, KRISS actively collaborates with stakeholders to integrate technical expertise into the early stages of policy and strategy formulation. These efforts aim to establish robust measurement capabilities for quantum and aerospace applications, including QKD test services and vicarious calibration in the MWIR region. Looking ahead, KRISS’s leadership in photon-based radiometric measurement standards and its strategic initiatives are expected to drive significant advancements in photometry and radiometry, solidifying its role as a key contributor to international metrology.
Quantum computation exploits superposition, entanglement, interference, and measurement to process information.Research has moved from theoretical algorithms to functional devices where the performance is not only limited by qubit physics, but also by the control, compilation, error mitigation, and error correction.This review considers quantum computing on various levels of abstraction, including physical qubits, quantum algorithms, system architecture, fault-tolerance, and emerging applications.Study-specific evidence regarding scale, operational quality, connectivity, control and suppression of errors is compared across the different types of superconducting circuits, trapped ions, semiconductor spin qubits, neutral atoms and photonic processors.The review of the fundamental algorithms, noisy intermediate-scale quantum computing, variational and hybrid quantum-classical approaches, quantum simulation, quantum machine learning, and security implications is also discussed.Measurable progress has been demonstrated in published experiments for logical-qubit operation, below-threshold surface-code memory, programmable photonic sampling and platformspecific scaling.However, the reported metrics are not directly interchangeable, and practical advantage remains task-and baseline-dependent.Further progress will need to be accompanied by coordinated developments in hardware reliability, error correction, classical control, estimates of algorithmic resources, and clear classical method comparisons.
Emerging technologies demand innovations in metrology: • Agility – to keep pace with a rapidly changing technical landscape; • Ability – to develop novel, perhaps first-ever, measurement capabilities; • Comparability and interoperability – across vendors, in commercial timeframes; • Accelerated delivery – because formal standards may be obsolete by the time they’re published. The same quantum technologies that have revolutionized metrology, such as Josephson junctions that are used to create the world’s most accurate voltage standards and ion traps that are used in time and frequency standards, also underpin emerging new markets in quantum computing, networking and sensing – and these quantum-based products require entirely new approaches for measurement and characterization. The world’s metrology institutes have been at the forefront of the quantum revolution, being both early developers and adopters of quantum technologies for metrology, and are uniquely poised to spearhead the development of metrology for quantum – those measurements and related standards needed by industry to underpin quantum-based products. The metrology community is positioned to create trust in the emerging quantum economy due to its long history of objectivity, neutrality and international collaboration; anticipating industry’s needs to be ready with rigorous measurement capabilities as technologies evolve; and its having formed institutions such as the CIPM, BIPM and IMEKO to support collaborative efforts. The BIPM hosted a workshop in March 2024 which brought together 149 participants from 43 NMIs and designated institutes (DIs) from 39 economies, along with industry representatives, to discuss how best to leverage the expertise of the worlds national metrology institutes (NMIs) and their designated institutes (DIs) to accelerate the development and adoption of quantum technologies through measurements and standards. The workshop supported coordinated development and sharing of measurement “best practices” in support of future standardization, the mission of a new collaborative initiative referred to as NMI-Q. The NMI-Q organizing committee, comprised of representatives of the NMIs of Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, are working on a cooperation framework inspired by the successful VAMAS organization, which conducts coordinated pre-standardization work in material science. NMI-Q has initiated early work in quantum photonics, and expects to expand to a breadth of technical areas, such as measurement and characterization to support multiple quantum computing platforms, quantum networking models, and sensing modalities.
Quantum computing leverages quantum mechanical concepts, including superposition, entanglement, and interference, to solve problems that traditional computers cannot handle efficiently. This study presents a comprehensive overview of the field, covering both the theoretical foundations and the latest developments in quantum hardware and algorithms. This study covers fundamental elements, qubits, gates, and circuits while emphasizing quantum parallelism as a distinctive feature. To illustrate efficiency gains, we explore notable algorithms like Shor’s factorization procedure and Grover’s search algorithm. Furthermore, we analyze recent advancements in quantum hardware, focusing on superconducting qubits, trapped ions, and photonic quantum computers, with an emphasis on implementations by IBM, Google, and other industry leaders. The discussion also addresses major challenges such as decoherence, noise, and the need for quantum error correction to achieve fault tolerance. Finally, we explore emerging applications in cryptography, optimization, quantum machine learning, and material simulation, and identify critical open problems that must be addressed to realize scalable, universal quantum computing. Our review underscores the transformative potential of quantum technologies across science and industry.