National Quantum Mission

• Recently, the National Quantum Mission (NQM) to support scholarly and commercial research and development in quantum technology was approved by the union cabinet, which is presided over by the prime minister.

About National quantum mission

• From 2023 until 2031, the mission will be carried out by the Department of Science & Technology (DST) under the Ministry of Science & Technology.
• The goal of the mission is to launch, support, and scale up scientific and industry R&D while also developing a dynamic and creative environment in quantum technology.
• In addition to fostering the nation's ecosystem and elevating India to a leading country in the development of quantum technologies & applications, this would expedite the economic growth driven by quantum technology.
• India will become the eighth nation after the US, Austria, Finland, France, Canada, and China to have a dedicated quantum mission with the launch of this mission.

Key characteristics of NQM:

• With 50–100 physical qubits in five years and 50–1000 physical qubits in eight years, it aims to construct intermediate scale quantum computers.
• Quantum computers use 'qubits' or 'quantum bits' to process information in the same way as computers use simple binary numbers (1 and 0) to do so.
• The expedition will aid in the creation of magnetometers with high sensitivity for communications, navigation, and atomic clock precise timing.

The new initiative focuses on developing-

• Eight years to build intermediate-scale quantum computers on several platforms, including superconducting and photonics, with 50–1000 physical qubits.
• Secure quantum communications using satellites between ground stations in India over a distance of 2000 km
• Secure quantum communications over long distances with other nations
• Multi-node quantum network with quantum memories and inter-city quantum key distribution over 2000 kilometres

Significance

• Quantum technology is the newest frontier in military communication and has the potential to be a game-changer in wars, beyond its major civilian uses in governance and business.
• India's fledgling efforts to compete with China in the area of quantum communication technology, where the latter is claimed to have made substantial progress, will be aided by the National Quantum Mission.
• By hacking an adversary country's data and communication networks, a nation with a quantum communication advantage can render it helpless.
• A nation possessing quantum communication technology can protect its energy, defence, aviation, and other vital infrastructure from attacks by hostile nations.
• Enhanced AI: Quantum machine learning methods may make it possible to train Artificial Intelligence models more accurately and efficiently.
• Better Sensing and Measuring: Quantum sensors are capable of detecting minute changes in the environment, which makes them valuable for geological exploration, environmental monitoring, and medical diagnostics.

Quantum technology: what is it?

• The study of how matter and energy behave at the tiniest scales is known as quantum mechanics, and quantum technology is a branch of science and engineering that deals with these concepts.
• The area of physics known as quantum mechanics studies how matter and energy behave at the atomic and subatomic scales.

Major concern

• The cost of quantum computers is exorbitant. Many academics think that the price of the materials used to make them may never be recouped.
• Programming and controlling quantum computing is very challenging because it necessitates a deep comprehension of intricate quantum concepts.
• Quantum technology is particularly susceptible to interference from the outside world, such as changes in temperature, magnetic fields, and vibrations.
• Another potential problem of quantum computing is that it might cause disruptions in current computer designs.
• Many experts claim that because of its reliance on entanglement and superposition, it is vulnerable to attacks from hackers who are conversant with the technology.

Conclusion

• In order to secure our communications and financial transactions, remain competitive, advance societal progress, create jobs, support economic growth, and enhance overall quality of life, it has become essential for both the government and businesses to be ready to develop these emerging and disruptive technologies.
• The National Quantum Mission will enable the nation's technology development ecosystem to compete on a global scale.