The UK National Quantum Technologies Programme (UKNQTP) is a programme set up by the UK government to translate academic work on

quantum mechanics Quantum mechanics is a fundamental theory in physics that provides a description of the physical properties of nature at the scale of atoms and subatomic particles. It is the foundation of all quantum physics including quantum chemistry, ...

, and the effects of

quantum superposition Quantum superposition is a fundamental principle of quantum mechanics. It states that, much like waves in classical physics, any two (or more) quantum states can be added together ("superposed") and the result will be another valid quantum ...

and quantum entanglement into new products and services. It brings UK physicists and engineers together with companies and entrepreneurs who have an interest in commercialising the technology.

The "second quantum revolution"

The "second quantum revolution", or "quantum 2.0" is a term that is often used to describe quantum technologies based on superposition and entanglement. Originally described in a 1997 book by

Gerard J. Milburn Gerard James Milburn (born 1958) is an Australian theoretical quantum physicist notable for his work on quantum feedback control, quantum measurements, quantum information, open quantum systems, and Linear optical quantum computing (aka the Kni ...

, which was then followed by a 2003 article by

Jonathan P. Dowling Jonathan P. Dowling (3 April 1955 – 5 June 2020) was an Irish-American researcher and professor in theoretical physics, known for his work on quantum technology, particularly for exploiting quantum entanglement (in the form of a NOON state) f ...

and

, as well as a 2003 article by

David Deutsch David Elieser Deutsch ( ; born 18 May 1953) is a British physicist at the University of Oxford. He is a Visiting Professor in the Department of Atomic and Laser Physics at the Centre for Quantum Computation (CQC) in the Clarendon Laboratory of ...

. These technologies use equipment such as highly stabilised

laser A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word "laser" is an acronym for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation". The fir ...

systems,

magneto-optical trap A magneto-optical trap (MOT) is an apparatus which uses laser cooling and a spatially-varying magnetic field to create a trap which can produce samples of cold, trapped, neutral atoms. Temperatures achieved in a MOT can be as low as several microk ...

cryogenic In physics, cryogenics is the production and behaviour of materials at very low temperatures. The 13th IIR International Congress of Refrigeration (held in Washington DC in 1971) endorsed a universal definition of “cryogenics” and “cr ...

cooled solid state devices, ion traps and vacuum systems to create, manipulate and then use quantum effects for a number of different purposes. These include:

quantum information Quantum information is the information of the state of a quantum system. It is the basic entity of study in quantum information theory, and can be manipulated using quantum information processing techniques. Quantum information refers to both th ...

processing, such as

quantum computing Quantum computing is a type of computation whose operations can harness the phenomena of quantum mechanics, such as superposition, interference, and entanglement. Devices that perform quantum computations are known as quantum computers. Though ...

, quantum simulation, quantum secure communications,

quantum sensing A quantum sensor utilizes properties of quantum mechanics, such as quantum entanglement, quantum interference, and quantum state squeezing, which have optimized precision and beat current limits in sensor technology. The field of quantum sensin ...

and

metrology Metrology is the scientific study of measurement. It establishes a common understanding of units, crucial in linking human activities. Modern metrology has its roots in the French Revolution's political motivation to standardise units in Fran ...

and

quantum imaging Quantum imaging is a new sub-field of quantum optics that exploits quantum correlations such as quantum entanglement of the electromagnetic field in order to image objects with a resolution or other imaging criteria that is beyond what is possible ...

, and are widely believed to offer capabilities that will out-perform existing and future classical technologies.

Vision

The vision of the UK National Quantum Technologies programme is to "create a coherent government, industry and academic quantum technology community that gives the UK a world-leading position in the emerging multi-billion-pound new quantum technology markets, and to substantially enhance the value of some of the biggest UK-based industries."

History

The UKNQTP was initiated by a £270 million investment by the UK Chancellor of the exchequer, George Osborne in the Autumn Statement 2013. In addition to this, the UK Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) separately announced a £30 million investment into a programme to produce demonstrator devices.

Organisation and governance

The primary focus of the UKNQTP are four 'hubs' for quantum technologies: *Quantum Hub for sensors and metrology, led by the

University of Birmingham , mottoeng = Through efforts to heights , established = 1825 – Birmingham School of Medicine and Surgery1836 – Birmingham Royal School of Medicine and Surgery1843 – Queen's College1875 – Mason Science College1898 – Mason Univers ...

Quantum Communications Hub The Quantum Communications Hub is a quantum technology research hub established as part of the UK National Quantum Technologies Programme. The hub is a consortium of 8 UK universities and 13 industrial partners, which received funding of £24m ove ...

, led by the

University of York , mottoeng = On the threshold of wisdom , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £8.0 million , budget = £403.6 million , chancellor = Heather Melville , vice_chancellor = Charlie Jeffery , students ...

*NQIT: Quantum hub for Networked Quantum Information Technologies, led by the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

*QuantIC: Quantum hub for quantum enhanced imaging, with a central team at the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

The UKQTP is advised by the Quantum Technologies Strategic Advisory Board, which is chaired by Professor David Delpy, it also consists of Professor Sir Peter Knight,

Baroness Neville-Jones Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knig ...

, Professor Gerald Milburn, Professor Ian Walmsley and other leading individuals from industry, academia and public sector. The programme is delivered by several UK public bodies: UK government

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills , type = Department , logo = Department for Business, Innovation and Skills logo.svg , logo_width = 200px , logo_caption = , picture = File:Лондан. 2014. Жнівень 26.JPG , seal = , se ...

(BIS), EPSRC, Innovate UK,

Dstl The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) is an executive agency of the Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom. Its stated purpose is "to maximise the impact of science and technology for the defence and security of the UK". The a ...

, NPL, CESG and the Knowledge Transfer Network.

Press coverage

The UKQTP has received some attention from the UK media, with an interview with Professor Miles Padgett on the

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...

Today programme on 11 November 2015 and articles in ''

New Scientist ''New Scientist'' is a magazine covering all aspects of science and technology. Based in London, it publishes weekly English-language editions in the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia. An editorially separate organisation publishe ...

'', and Nature materials

Key milestones and achievements

* Summer 2013 -

, after consultation with the academic community publish a UK Quantum Technologies Landscape document, which outlines a number of areas of research that are ready to become devices for defence and commercial use. * Autumn 2013 - The UK Chancellor George Osborne announces a £270 million investment into quantum technologies * November 2014 - The Science Minister at the time,

Greg Clark Gregory David Clark (born 28 August 1967) is a British politician who served as Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities from 7 July 2022 to 6 September 2022. A member of the Conservative Party, he has served as Member of Pa ...

announces a "national network of quantum technology hubs" * March 2015 - The Quantum Technologies Strategic Advisory Board release their strategy for the UKNQTP * April 2015 - Innovate UK announces the results the competition 'exploring the commercial applications of quantum technologies', a £5 million funding round for companies working to develop quantum technologies.

References

{{Reflist College and university associations and consortia in the United Kingdom Programmes of the Government of the United Kingdom Emerging technologies Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council Quantum information science Quantum computing