— Amit Kumar (The Indian Express has launched a new series of articles for UPSC aspirants written by seasoned writers and erudite scholars on issues and concepts spanning History, Polity, International Relations, Art, Culture and Heritage, Environment, Geography, Science and Technology, and so on. Read and reflect with subject experts and boost your chance of cracking the much-coveted UPSC CSE. In the following article, Amit Kumar explains India’s National Quantum Mission.) The Department of Science and Technology has recently invited proposals from start-ups engaged in quantum technologies under the National Quantum Mission, which aims to support, nurture and scale up scientific and industrial R&D in quantum technology. The selected proposals will be funded with up to Rs 25 crore each. The funding has two parts: Start-up funding and Research funding. The selected start-ups will also get mentorship, industry connections, and infrastructure support. On the research side, a consortium of academic institutions would get the required financial support. This initiative would head India towards the goal of becoming a leader in quantum technologies. National Quantum Mission In order to develop capabilities in quantum-related science and technology, India announced the setting up of the National Quantum Mission in 2023. It focuses on four key domains or verticals, i.e. Quantum Computing, Quantum Communication, Quantum Sensing & Metrology, and Quantum Materials & Devices. The Mission has an outlay of Rs 6,003.65 crore, which will be used to fund the scientific and industrial research projects for eight years (2023-2031). It includes the establishment of four thematic hubs (T-Hubs) dedicated to the four domains or verticals. Each vertical will have its own goals and challenges. Before exploring each vertical, let us first understand what is quantum technology. What is Quantum Technology Quantum Technology is often used as an umbrella term for the technological advancements that are specifically governed by the principles of quantum mechanics at its core. Quantum Technology traces its origins back to the principles of quantum mechanics - a fundamental aspect of quantum physics that deals with the behaviour of atomic and subatomic particles. It was observed by many scientists that the principles of classical physics (which includes Newtonian mechanics, electromagnetism, and classical thermodynamics) were not able to explain many important phenomena of atomic and subatomic particles, which were wave-particle duality, quantum superposition, quantum entanglement, and Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle. This inadequacy of classical physics led to the development of quantum mechanics, a new field in physics that revolutionised our understanding of the quantum world. Further developments in quantum mechanics were translated into real devices for applications. Together (theories and devices), they made up what we call quantum technology. To be precise, quantum technology exploits the principles of quantum mechanics, which include superposition, quantum entanglement, and interference to achieve greater efficiency in large-scale computations. Let's walk through these principles briefly. Principles of Quantum Mechanics (a) Superposition: In classical computing, the fundamental unit for computation is a ‘bit’, represented by either ‘0’ or ‘1’. A bit can only take either of these two values because these are the only possibilities. In contrast, quantum computing uses ‘qubit’ (or quantum bit) as its fundamental unit. Unlike classical bits, qubits can exist in a superposition of both '0' and '1' (described by a linear combination of '0' and '1' and represented through the probabilities of the qubit being in the '0' or '1' state when measured). This unique feature helps in finding multiple solutions to complex algorithms by scanning through a vast number of possibilities simultaneously and coming to the solution with the least error. Quantum algorithms such as Shor’s algorithm (factorise large numbers) and Grover’s algorithm (search unstructured databases quickly) are based on this principle. These algorithms can achieve outcomes in a very short span of time, which might have taken months if solved by a classical computer. (b) Entanglement: It is a phenomenon that explains how two subatomic particles get linked to each other irrespective of distance such that a level of change in one particle gets reflected on the other. This intriguing property can help in preventing security breaches in quantum communication by entangling qubits of sender and receiver. (c) Interference: It is a wavelike superposition of subatomic particles’ states that affect the probabilities of states of these particles when measured. While entanglement is a phenomenon between two particles, interference is an effect of many particles surrounding each other. Interference can be constructive as well as destructive which makes it suitable for use in quantum algorithms for improving accuracies by suppressing less probabilistic outcomes and amplifying high probabilistic outcomes. Apart from being a new field, quantum technology is one of the most important interdisciplinary areas, with wide applications in science, research, healthcare, communication, security, and many other sectors. This brings us back to our discussion on the aims and challenges of each vertical under the National Quantum Mission. Four Key Domains of National Quantum Mission (a) Quantum Computing: It involves developing necessary hardware, software, algorithms, and protocols for design and development of quantum computing devices like quantum computers. Though the National Quantum Mission is for eight years (2023-2031), its implementation can be divided into three timelines - 20-50 physical qubits in three years, 50-100 physical qubits in five years, and 50-1000 physical qubits in eight years. It is important to understand that quantum computers are not to replace classical computers. Rather, quantum computers seek to perform computational tasks that are beyond the scope of a classical computer. For example, factorisation problems involving large numbers, when solved using classical computers, not only require sufficiently large memories but also huge time. Such problems would require superprocessors and still may take months to solve. This highlights the future scenario where quantum computers would be confined to laboratory setups while the masses will continue to enjoy the benefits of personal computers/classical computers. (b) Quantum Communication: It involves the development of satellite-based secure quantum communications between sender and receiver ground stations. The distance between stations would be up to 2000 kilometres. This would facilitate within-country communications as well as outside-country secure communications. The National Quantum Mission aims at the development of inter-city quantum key distribution (QKD) with secured nodes using wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) on optical fibre networks over a large distance of 2000 kilometres. This aim would be achieved through the development of important hardware devices for the multi-node quantum network, which comprises quantum memories, entanglement swapping (two particles that have never interacted can become entangled with the use of a third entangled pair), and synchronised quantum repeaters at each node (2-3 nodes). (c) Quantum Sensing & Metrology: To perform highly precise measurements and enhance sensing capabilities, the National Quantum Mission has adopted a dedicated objective for the same. It aims at developing magnetometers with 1 femto-Tesla/sqrt(Hz) sensitivity in atomic systems which would surpass the previous 1 pico-Tesla/sqrt(Hz) sensitivity. the National Quantum Mission also aims at improving the sensitivity of gravity measurements surpassing the previous 100 nanometre/second2, using atomic clocks with 10-19 fractional instability for precision timing, communications, and navigation. (d) Quantum Materials & Devices: All the advancements in the domain of quantum technology would require its own materials and devices. To fulfil this need, the National Quantum Mission aims at the design and synthesis of quantum materials, which are basically superconductors that operate at very low temperatures (-273°C). Maintaining such a low temperature would be challenging and energy consuming. The Mission also aims at developing novel semiconductor structures and topological materials for the fabrication of quantum devices for various uses in QT. The requirements for flourishing each vertical would be met by Thematic Hubs (T-Hubs). Each T-Hub will focus on various important aspects, such as technology development, human resource development, entrepreneurship and startup ecosystem, and international collaborations. Post Read Question What is the National Quantum Mission? Discuss its significance. What are the four key domains of the National Quantum Mission? What is quantum technology? How does it seek to exploit the principles of quantum mechanics? Countries like China and the US have a significant head start over India in quantum science. How does India plan to catch up with them? (Amit Kumar is a doctoral candidate at IIT Delhi. In the second part of the article, he will discuss the progress made in the field and challenges and way forward.) 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