Quantum News Briefs December 5: Quantum Sensing and Computing Technology for Biomedical Applications Webinar • Alice & Bob Publishes Quantum Computing Roadmap to 100 Logical Qubits in 2030 • BBN Technologies Developing Photonic Chip Quantum Sensors Under DARPA’s INSPIRED • International Year of Quantum Science and Technology 2025
Quantum Sensing and Computing Technology for Biomedical Applications
The upcoming Quantum Sensing and Computing Technology for Biomedical Applications webinar will address the NIH funding opportunities to support quantum technological development and application to biomedical use cases. Register here,
Attend this webinar on Monday, December 16, at 3:00 p.m. ET to learn about the following funding opportunities:
- Small Business Grants Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Quantum Sensing in Biomedical Applications (SBIR/STTR) – https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-EY-24-014.html
- . This notice intends to support small businesses in developing and commercializing quantum technologies for biomedical applications.
- Research and Training Grants Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Quantum Sensing Technologies in Biomedical Applications – https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-EB-23-022.html
- . This notice intends to support innovative and potentially transformative research projects in quantum technology applications in biomedical disciplines.
- NIH Quantum Computing Prize Challenge: https://www.challenge.gov/?challenge=nih-quantum-computing-challenge
- NIH Quantum. This challenge aims to identify novel biomedical use cases that are amenable to quantum computing–based solutions. The areas of interest for the current Quantum Computing Challenge include: 1. Quantum algorithms for drug discovery 2. Quantum algorithms for clinical risk predictions, diagnosis, and therapeutics 3. Quantum algorithms for biomedical imaging and genomic data analysis
- NIH Quantum Sensing Technology Prize Challenge: https://www.challenge.gov/?challenge=nih-quantum-sensing-technology-challenge
. This challenge aims to address key subject areas to apply emerging quantum-enabled sensing approaches to biomedical research. The areas of interest for the Quantum Sensing Technology Challenge include: 1. Quantum-enabled approaches to advance biomedical applications; 2. Quantum-enabled approaches for early detection and diagnostics; 3. Quantum-enabled sensing and imaging devices for diagnostics and monitoring
Alice & Bob Publishes Quantum Computing Roadmap to 100 Logical Qubits in 2030
Alice & Bob, a global frontrunner in the race for fault-tolerant quantum computing, has unveiled its white paper and five-year roadmap. The White paper outlines a clear path to achieving useful quantum computing through Alice & Bob’s cat qubit technology, which promises to deliver high-fidelity logical qubits while using significantly fewer hardware and energy resources compared to alternative approaches.
BBN Technologies Developing Photonic Chip Quantum Sensors Under DARPA’s INSPIRED
BBN Technologies is advancing the development of compact photonic quantum sensors under DARPA’s INSPIRED program as reported by December 4 Converge Digest. The sensors leverage quantum states of squeezed light to achieve over ten times the precision of current systems, with potential applications in LiDAR, biosensing, network monitoring, and navigation. These devices aim to overcome the shot noise limit, a fundamental barrier in conventional sensors, to provide higher accuracy for both defense and commercial uses.The project focuses on designing and prototyping a photonic chip-scale detector capable of measuring photon properties with unprecedented sensitivity. This detector uses squeezed light to reduce quantum fluctuations, enhancing the ability to detect weak signals across frequencies from 100 MHz to 10 GHz. The BBN-led effort brings together expertise from Xanadu Quantum, the University of Maryland, and Raytheon’s Advanced Technology division, with contributions
spanning quantum measurement, integrated photonics, and rapid prototyping.Fabrication challenges include transferring squeezed-light capabilities from large lab setups to millimeter-scale chips suitable for field deployment. The program also explores integration into compact systems for a variety of applications, from autonomous navigation to communication and sensing. Work is ongoing across facilities in Massachusetts, Maryland, California, and Canada.
In Other News: Physics World Reports on “International Year of Quantum Science and Technology 2025”
Matin Durrani introduces readers of Physics World to the bounty of quantum-themed initiatives in store for 2025 in this December 4 article in Physics World.
The International Year of Quantum Science and Technology 2025. The IYQ 2025 is a worldwide celebration, endorsed by the United Nations (UN), to increase the public’s awareness of quantum science and its applications. The year 2025 was chosen as it marks the centenary of the initial development of quantum mechanics by Werner Heisenberg.
An official IYQ opening ceremony will be taking place at UNESCO headquarters in Paris on 4–5 February 2025. Perhaps the highlight of the year for physicists is a workshop from 9–14 June in Helgoland – the tiny island off the coast of Germany where Heisenberg made his breakthrough exactly 100 years ago. Many of the leading lights from quantum physics will be there, including five Nobel-prize winners.
With six “founding partners”, including the Institute of Physics (IOP), which publishes Physics World, the IYQ has ambitious aims. It wants to show how quantum science can do everything from grow the economy, support industry and improve our health to help the climate, deliver clean energy and reduce inequalities in education and research. You can join in by creating an event or donating money to the IYQ Global Fund.
Quantum science is burgeoning, with huge advances in basic research and applications such as quantum computing, communication, cryptography and sensors. Countless tech firms are getting in on the act, including giants like Google, IBM and Microsoft as well as start-ups such as Oxford Quantum Circuits, PsiQuantum, Quantinuum, QuEra and Riverlane. Businesses in related areas – from banking to aerospace – are eyeing up the possibilities of quantum tech too.
