Why in News?

• The Union Cabinet approved the National Quantum Mission (NQM) in a bid to aid scientific and industrial research and development in quantum technology.
• The mission involves a cost of Rs 6,003.65 crore from 2023-24 to 2030-31, and aims to put India among the top six leading nations involved in the research and development in quantum technologies.

 What’s in Today’s Article?

• What is Quantum technology?
• Quantum Technology and India
• What is the National Quantum Mission?

 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 behavior 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.
  • Presently, R&D works in quantum technologies are underway in the US, Canada, France, Finland, China and Austria.

 Quantum Technology and India:

• Professor Satyendra Nath Bose, Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman and Professor Meghnad Saha are some stalwart Indian scientists that have contributed in the field of quantum technology.
• India is currently at the forefront of tapping the second quantum revolution through massive investments in the field.
• Quantum technologies & applications is one of the 9 missions of national importance, being driven by the Prime Minister’s Science and Technology Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC) through the Principal Scientific Advisor’s office.
  • In order to leverage cutting edge scientific research for India’s sustainable development, the areas of focus would be around 4 verticals -
    • Quantum Computing and Simulations,
    • Quantum Materials and Devices,
    • Quantum Communications and
    • Quantum Sensor and Metrology.
  • To address the above 4 verticals, 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 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.
• 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.