The new world of quantum
Chronicle of a revolution foretold
The second quantum revolution, as Nobel prize-winner Alain Aspect has called it, opens up a dizzying array of new possibilities.
By harnessing the astonishing properties of quantum physics – wave-particle duality, quantum superposition, quantum entanglement and other basic principles identified on a theoretical basis by the great scholars of the early twentieth century – new quantum technologies are in the process of transforming our vision of the world.
To tap this potential, we need to strike a balance between hard science and practical applications – and the ability to find that sweet spot has always been one of the keys to Thales’s success.
Photo: Stéphanie Molin, Quantum Communications R&D Lead at ThereSIS (Thales European Research Centre for Security & Information Systems)
Within reach of unprecedented power
Stéphanie Molin is Quantum Communications R&D Lead at ThereSIS.
"Quantum technologies offer enormous potential for innovation, first and foremost in the field of computing, where the Holy Grail – a machine capable of processing qubits – could reshape our whole world view.
Thales is helping to produce a new generation of mathematicians capable of developing the algorithms needed to reap the benefits of this unprecedented computing power, and is already playing an active role in the new ecosystem emerging around the supercomputers of tomorrow. But the potential of quantum extends well beyond the field of computing, and has untold possibilities in other areas such as quantum sensors for metrology and quantum communications.
To unlock this vast potential, Thales has adopted a pragmatic approach that combines fundamental science with cutting-edge engineering, making us one of the pioneers of the new world of quantum."
“
In its 20 years of existence, our laboratory at Palaiseau has built a global reputation in the field of quantum sensors.
The role of quantum sensors
Thales is already a major player in quantum computing
Tomorrow's Technology: quantum
Rare earth-based processors for quantum communication and sensors
Meet Perrine Berger, Optical and Quantum processors expert.
Rare-earth based processors will make ultra-secure quantum communications possible over long distances, via quantum repeaters.
NV diamond quantum sensors
Meet Thierry Debuisschert, Quantum sensors expert.
A disruptive technology requiring no cooling that will enable the installation of light, compact sensors in environments with limited space.
Cold atom inertial sensors
Meet Matthieu Dupont Nivet, Cold atom inertial sensors expert.
Cold atom technology will enable compact sensors that determine a vehicle’s position with unprecedented precision and without the aid of GPS.
Quantum RF antenna
Meet Juan Trastoy Quintela, Quantum antenna expert at the joint CNRS-Thales physics lab.
Quantum physics and a nanoscale superconducting material are being used to develop and build extremely compact antennae capable of receiving every type of signal.