UK plans to develop advanced devices based on the incredible physics of the quantum world have been given a £100 million boost that ministers hope will transform healthcare, transport and national security.
Science Minister Peter Kyle announced funding to establish five quantum technologies hubs in England and Scotland that will work with industry and government to develop and commercialise devices, ultimately powering a new economy.
“We are on the threshold of where quantum technology is going to take us and it represents a huge opportunity for British science and British research and development,” Kyle told the Guardian from Glasgow ahead of Friday’s announcement. “If we get this right, we can become a global leader. It means not only solving domestic challenges and creating opportunities at home, but also being able to capitalise on global markets.”
The late Nobel laureate Richard Feynman once declared that “nobody understands quantum mechanics,” but since his early work over a century ago, researchers have found ways to harness its strange effects. Quantum physics is now used in semiconductors, MRI brain scanners, lasers, atomic clocks and more.
Based in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Oxford and London, the hubs aim to build the next generation of devices, from brain scanner helmets and gravity sensors to detect underground pipes, to quantum-enhanced blood tests for early detection of disease, as well as GPS-free global positioning systems and precision timing services.
In one project, UCL scientists are tweaking the quantum properties of atomic defects in diamond nanoparticles to develop an ultra-sensitive blood test. The technique allows scientists to take a blood sample and shine it like a lighthouse beam to detect minute amounts of protein or DNA.
“A whole new generation of quantum sensors is starting to emerge and our site will harness them to transform early diagnosis and treatment, with applications across a range of diseases including cancer, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s and infectious diseases,” said UCL’s Professor John Morton. “We’re incredibly excited to be able to put these weird and wonderful quantum sensors into practical applications that will benefit patients.”
Scientists at the University of Birmingham are using a quantum effect called superposition to develop gravity sensors that can detect underground infrastructure, which could inform utility companies about gas and water mains to dig and help find pipes that need repairs.
“Rather than digging a lot to find something, or digging a lot of holes in the wrong places, this could in principle find infrastructure faster,” said Professor Michael Holinsky, from the University of Birmingham. “We’ve already got sensors on the hub detecting tunnels and pipes. The next step is to get it to move quickly and be able to inspect underground areas more accurately.”
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Other sensors use a quantum effect called quantum entanglement to pinpoint gas leaks such as methane from industrial facilities, allowing them to be spotted and addressed before they become a danger.
“The global market for quantum is £9 billion today and will be £90 billion in 10 years’ time,” Mr Kyle said. “If the global market is going to grow that fast, the UK needs to be at the forefront.”
