About National Quantum Mission (NQM):
- NQM will fund research and development of quantum computing technology and associated applications.
- The mission will have defined milestones that are expected to be achieved over the course of eight years (2023-24 to 2030-31).
- India is the sixth country to have a dedicated quantum mission after the US, Austria, Finland, France and China.
- Four thematic hubs, or T-Hubs, with a focus on quantum computing, communication, sensing and metrology, and materials and devices will be established in India's leading academic and national R&D institutes.
- Objectives:
- Create intermediate-scale quantum computers with 50-1000 qubits in the next eight years.
- Establish satellite-based secure quantum communications between ground stations within India, as well as with other countries, covering a range of 2000 km.
- It will look to provide inter-city quantum key distribution over 2000 km.
- Multi-node quantum network with quantum memories.
- Help to advance atomic technology with highly sensitive magnetometers and precision atomic clocks that serve communication, navigation, and timing.
- Aid in designing and synthesising quantum materials, including superconductors, novel semiconductor structures, and topological materials for the fabrication of quantum devices.
What is Quantum Computing?
- It is an area of computer science focused on the development of technologies based on the principles of quantum theory.
- It uses the unique behaviours of quantum physics to solve problems that are too complex for classical computing.
- Classical computers today employ a stream of electrical impulses (1 and 0) in a binary manner to encode information in bits. This restricts their processing ability compared to quantum computing.
- Quantum computing uses subatomic particles, such as electrons or photons. Quantum bits, or qubits, allow these particles to exist in more than one state (i.e., 1 and 0) at the same time.
- Qubits can exploit the interference between their wave-like quantum states to perform calculations that might otherwise take millions of years.
