Things get weird at quantum level – and harnessing this weirdness could deliver disruptive innovation, along with fresh insights into the nature of the universe. A COST Action dedicated to space applications is helping to shape Europe’s vision of leading this quantum leap in knowledge.
What if you could design molecules for new medicines faster than ever before? Base positioning systems on even more accurate clocks? Map the surface of the Earth resolving details that were previously unobservable? Quantum mechanics may sound esoteric, but using them to our advantage could deliver tangible benefits in areas as varied as healthcare, transport and Earth observation.
The COST Action QTSpace – ‘Quantum Technologies in Space’ (CA15220) – was launched in October 2016 to help Europe realise this potential. It is helping to drive the development of a strategy for the advancement of quantum technology in cooperation with the EU’s Quantum Flagship, through which research and innovation funding is provided to advance applications in this area.
The Action’s White Paper, which is due to be finalised in 2019, is a notable contribution in this respect. Drawn up for the attention of policy- and decision-makers, including the European Commission and the European Space Agency, the recommendations aim to establish an EU roadmap for quantum technology applications in space. The paper outlines specific goals to be pursued in the short, medium and long term.
“Quantum physics was born in Europe, and we must do our best to retain our leadership,” says Action Chair Professor Angelo Bassi of the University of Trieste, Italy.
Courting disruption
The off-Earth technologies on which QTSpace focuses include key components of a prospective quantum web, which would be underpinned by radically different infrastructure and networks to the current web, Bassi explains. Along with technology designed to support operations back home, the Action also covers quantum innovation and experimentation for research into space and the nature of the universe.
In fact, quantum mechanics are already central to a number of technologies on which we have come to rely – lasers, transistors and magnetic resonance imaging, for instance. Growing capabilities to detect and manipulate objects such as individual photons are now expected to deliver a second quantum revolution, in the form of innovations including ultra-fast computers, powerful encryption and a new generation of sensors.
The aim is to capitalise on the intriguing characteristics of quantum objects, which can, for example, exist in two states at the same time. They can also be connected at a distance through a phenomenon known as entanglement.
Strategy, community, communication
Helping to outline this ambitious strategy is one of three main objectives pursued by QTSpace, Bassi notes. Building up and coordinating a scientific and industrial community is another, as is disseminating information to the general public.
While consolidating the community is a long-term process, the Action has already made significant headway in merging groups which traditionally interacted, Bassi underlines.
“The quantum communication community and the sensing community were non-overlapping, for example,” he reports. “We have brought them together and thereby enabled them to find the common points of interest for scientific and technological development.”
Industry would be the first to benefit from advances, he notes, but advantages would quickly arise for society as a whole. “Quantum mechanics is a game changer,” Bassi emphasises. “It redefines technological progress.”
View the Action: https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA15220
View the Network website: http://www.qtspace.eu