Quantum mechanics emerged as a branch of physics and mathematics over a century ago and many technologies, for example semiconductors and lasers, have developed from a growing understanding of quantum physics and its effects. These technologies harness many-body quantum effects, which manifest through macroscopic systems made up of a large number of particles. New and emerging technologies capitalizing on quantum physics at the single particle level – colloquially referred to as ‘Quantum 2.0’ – are set to have a strong impact on a number of sectors, in particular security, finance, communications, information science and manufacturing.
This research paper looks at the emerging opportunities for EU–US collaboration in the fast-developing field of quantum technologies. Several quantum technologies are already well established and are in the process of industrial and societal adoption. This paper does not examine these technologies in any depth, since they are well covered elsewhere – rather, it highlights possible new areas for potential EU–US cooperation in the near term.
The first section of the paper looks at the likely developments in new quantum technologies over the next couple of years. The second section discusses general opportunities for EU–US collaboration on quantum technologies. The final section presents more detailed explanations of a selection of future quantum technologies and provides a brief note on some US quantum funding streams.
The observations in this paper were obtained through a combination of research into academic sources, press articles, business reports and interviews with research and business figures in the quantum technology sector.
