Why in News?

In 2023, India launched the National Quantum Mission and became one of the few countries in the world to have a dedicated programme to harness the power of quantum technologies.

But India is far behind China and the US despite having a fairly strong research base in quantum science.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• What is Quantum Technology?
• What is the Indian Government’s National Quantum Mission (NQM)?
• Analysing the Progress of Quantum Technology in India

What is Quantum Technology?

• It is a class of technology (developed in the early 20th century) that works by using the principles of quantum mechanics - the physics of subatomic particles, including quantum entanglement and quantum superposition.
• Hence, it is based on phenomena exhibited by microscopic particles (like photons, electrons, atoms, etc) which are quite distinct from the way normal macroscopic objects behave.
• As behaviour of these microscopic particles can’t be described by Classical Physics (based on Newtonian Mechanics), consequently Quantum Mechanics came into picture.
• The principles behind quantum technology:
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• Applications: In more reliable navigation and timing systems, more secure communications, more accurate healthcare imaging through quantum sensing (perform a measurement of a physical quantity), more powerful computing (quantum computer), etc.
• Progress in India: India is currently at the forefront of tapping the quantum revolution through massive investments in the field. The Union Budget 2020-21 proposed to spend
  • ₹8,000 crore on the newly launched National Mission on Quantum Technologies and Applications (NMQTA) and
  • ₹ 3660 Crore for National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber Physical Systems (NM-ICPS).

What is the Indian Government’s National Quantum Mission (NQM)?

• NQM will be led by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) for strengthening India’s R&D in the quantum arena, and focuses on four key domains: computing, communications, sensors, and materials.
• It will target developing intermediate scale quantum computers with 50-1000 physical qubits in eight years in various platforms like superconducting and photonic technology.
• Other objectives of the mission:
  • Satellite based secure quantum communications over a range of 2000 km within India and with other countries.
  • Develop magnetometers with high sensitivity in atomic systems and Atomic Clocks for precision timing, communications and navigation.
  • It will also support design and synthesis of quantum materials such as superconductors, novel semiconductor structures and topological materials for fabrication of quantum devices.
• Four ‘Thematic Hubs’ (T-Hubs) will be set up in top academic and national R&D institutes in the domains of quantum computing, communication, sensing and metrology.
  • The hubs will focus on generation of new knowledge through basic and applied research as well as promote R&D.
• The Mission will have wide-scale applications ranging from healthcare and diagnostics, defence, energy and data security.

Analysing the Progress of Quantum Technology in India:

• India lagging behind other nations:
  • A new report has found that countries like China and the US have a huge head start in quantum technologies over India.
  • Not only have these nations invested significantly more funds to research, they have a larger number of professionals in this field, have been publishing more scientific papers, and have registered many more patents.
• India still remains in competition:
  • Indian scientists are at the forefront of research into quantum communications and quantum sensing.
  • Even in areas such as computing and materials, the gap is not such that it cannot be bridged.
  • Outside the European Union, India had the largest number of graduate students in disciplines (biochemistry, electronics, statistics, ICT, etc) aligned to quantum technologies.
  • There were more than 82,000 such students enrolled, which is more than in China or the US.
• Way ahead for India:
  • In a decade or two, a quantum-enabled transition can lay the groundwork for a new economy by surpassing the limitations of existing technology. This is why India wants to rapidly build its capabilities in these areas.
  • Partnering in technology development would ensure early success, leading to swift economic progress and access to cutting-edge technologies for India.
  • The NQM needs to identify and promote young talent, helping to raise a separate cadre of quantum scientists.
• Conclusion: There is much ground to cover, and the NQM is only the first step. But the good thing is that India is not exactly starting from zero.