Introduction:

Quantum Technology is based on the principles of quantum theory, which explains the nature of energy and matter on the atomic and subatomic level. It concerns the control and manipulation of quantum systems, with the goal of achieving information processing beyond the limits of the classical world. Quantum principles will be used for engineering solutions to extremely complex problems in computing, communications, sensing, chemistry, cryptography, imaging and mechanics.

The government, in its Budget 2020, had announced a National Mission on Quantum Technologies & Applications (NM-QTA) with a total budget outlay of Rs 8000 Crore for a period of five years to be implemented by the Department of Science & Technology (DST).

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Key features of the scheme:

• The areas of focus for the mission will be in fundamental science, translation, technology development, human and infrastructural resource generation, and start-ups to address national issues.
• The applications under the mission include aerospace engineering, numerical weather prediction, simulations, securing communications and financial transactions, cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing, health, agriculture, and education.
• The mission plans to draw upon the existing strengths within academic institutes across India to support interdisciplinary research projects in key verticals involving quantum technology. It will try to develop key foundational strengths in important core areas.
• It has become imperative both for the government and industries to be prepared to develop these emerging and disruptive technologies to secure communications and financial transactions, remain competitive, drive societal progress, generate employment, foster economic growth, and to improve the overall quality of life, the release stated.

Conventional computers process information in ‘bits’ or 1s and 0s, following classical physics under which our computers can process a ‘1’ or a ‘0’ at a time. Quantum computers compute in ‘qubits’ (or quantum bits). They exploit the properties of quantum mechanics, the science that governs how matter behaves on the atomic scale. In this scheme of things, processors can be a 1 and a 0 simultaneously, a state called quantum superposition. Because of quantum superposition, a quantum computer — if it works to plan — can mimic several classical computers working in parallel.

Applications:

• Secure Communication:
  • China recently demonstrated secure quantum communication links between terrestrial stations and satellites.
  • This area is significant to satellites, military and cyber security among others as it promises unimaginably fast computing and safe, unhackable satellite communication to its users.
• Research:
  • It can help in solving some of the fundamental questions in physics related to gravity, black hole etc.
  • Similarly, the quantum initiative could give a big boost to the Genome India project, a collaborative effort of 20 institutions to enable new efficiencies in life sciences, agriculture and medicine.
• Disaster Management:
  • Tsunamis, drought, earthquakes and floods may become more predictable with quantum applications.
  • The collection of data regarding climate change can be streamlined in a better way through quantum technology. This in turn will have a profound impact on agriculture, food technology chains and the limiting of farmland wastage.
• Pharmaceutical industry:
  • India’s interest in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry is huge.
  • Quantum computing could reduce the time frame of the discovery of new molecules and related processes to a few days from the present 10-year slog that scientists put in.
  • For instance, tracking protein behaviour or even modelling new proteins with the help of quantum computers could be made easier and faster.
  • Tackling chronic diseases like cancer, Alzheimer’s and heart ailments is a big possibility of the technology.
• Augmenting Industrial revolution 4.0:
  • Quantum computing is an integral part of Industrial revolution 4.0.
  • Success in it will help in Strategic initiatives aimed at leveraging other Industrial revolution 4.0 technologies like the Internet-of-Things, machine learning, robotics, and artificial intelligence across sectors will further help in laying the foundation of the Knowledge economy.

 Concerns: 

• The challenge lies in harnessing the properties of quantum superposition in a highly controlled manner. The qubits tend to be very fragile and lose their “quantumness” if not controlled properly. Also, a careful choice of materials, design and engineering is required to get them to work.
• On the theoretical front lies the challenge of creating the algorithms and applications for quantum computers.
• These projects will also place new demands on classical control hardware as well as software platforms.
• Further, Information technology-based security infrastructure would never be the same once quantum systems become a reality, given the ultra-fast speed of computing power.
• Warfare and conflict strategists will have new challenges to face.
• In such scenarios India’s current plans may have to be reworked to develop integrated war-theatre strategies factoring in quantum technologies.

Way forward:

• An unprecedented collaboration between physicists (both experimentalists and theorists), computer scientists, material scientists and engineers.
• Government needs to partner institutions and the scientific community to work out details of the mission and roll it out quickly.
• Private funding, both via industry and philanthropy, can play an outsized role even with much smaller amounts.

Conclusion:

With a solid research base and workforce founded on significant and reliable government support, it can lead to the creation of innovative applications by industries, thereby stimulating economic growth and job creation, which will feed back into a growing quantum-based economy. The government’s financial and organizational support will also ensure that both public and private sectors will benefit. It will establish standards to be applied to all research and help stimulate a pipeline to support research and applications well into the future.