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The methods of quantum physics make it possible to control individual atoms, electrons and photons. Outside the physics lab, quantum mechanical processes pave the way for high-precision biosensors, tap-proof data transfers as well as the high-performance quantum computer of the future. The European Commission wants to support the 'Quantum Revolution' in Europe with a well endowed flagship-scale initiative.  Researchers from the Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology (IQST, a collaboration between Ulm University, the University of Stuttgart and the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research Stuttgart), led by Professor Tommaso Calarco from Ulm University, were instrumental in the development of the 'Quantum Manifesto' – the document that called for this initiative. The European Commission recently announced to boost quantum technology with €1 billion.

This planned flagship-scale initiative has ambitions similar to current major projects like the 'Graphene Flagship' and the 'Human Brain Project'. The project presumably launches in 2018, with funding coming from the European Commission and other European and national supporters. Many basic principles of quantum mechanics are now understood and used, for example, in laser technology or for the advancement of transistors and imaging techniques like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In addition to the advancement of quantum simulators for material design and research, the new flagship-scale initiative aims to further develop practical applications from the field of sensor and information technology – tap-proof long-distance communication networks, for example. The long-term goal is the high-performance quantum computer which masters tasks unsolvable even for supercomputers within only minutes. 'The whole world invests in quantum technology. Europe would risk to be left behind without such an initiative. The clock is ticking,' Professor Tommaso Calarco, expert for quantum technology at Ulm University, told the highly renowned journal 'Nature'. 'No country has the competence and resources to realise the Quantum Revolution on their own. This takes a network of leading European researchers in close collaboration with the engineering sciences and the industry,' Calarco elaborates.

At the request of the European Commission Professor Calarco and other leading quantum scientists wrote a 'Quantum Manifesto' as the basis of the flagship-scale initiative. The Manifesto, in which the researchers emphasise the importance and tremendous potential of quantum technology for the European economy and society, was published in March. It has now been signed by around 3200 supporters, including Nobel Prize winners. More detailed information on what the quantum initiative will look like are expected to be revealed at the 'Quantum Europe Conference' in Amsterdam mid-May. 'The fact that researchers from the IQST in Ulm and Stuttgart, particularly Professor Calarco, play such an important role in the realisation of this initiative demonstrates yet again the international importance this quantum centre has gained,' says Professor Joachim Ankerhold, Vice President for Research and Information Technology and member of the IQST.

Professor Tommaso Calarco is Managing Director of the Institute of Complex Quantum Systems of Ulm University, and speaker for the IQST. Physicists, chemists, biologists and mathematicians bundle their expert knowledge in the quantum sciences.  The close collaboration with partners from the industry ensures application orientation. The envisaged flagship-scale initiative will not only benefit from the IQST's expertise in sensor technology. Tommaso Calarco, a theorist who contributes fundamental algorithms and protocols, believes that highly sensitive sensors based on nanodiamonds will be ready to use in medical diagnostics within ten years.

Beyond their work at the IQST Ulm University is considered a leader in quantum sciences, as the Collaborative Research Centre/Transregio 21 'Control of Quantum Correlations in Tailored Matter' (Ulm, Stuttgart, Tübingen), the ERC Synergy Grant of €10.3 million the group BioQ, led by Professor Martin Plenio, received, as well as various third-party funded projects and awards demonstrate.
Last year, a statement was published under the auspices of the German National academy of Sciences Leopoldina, which had been coordinated by the quantum physicist Professor Wolfgang Schleich at Ulm University. This statement, titled 'Quantum technology: from research to application', could be another pillar of support for the flagship-scale initiative.

Quantum Manifesto

Background: On 19 April, the European Commission announced the plan of launching a flagship-scale initiative in the field of quantum sciences. This announcement was picked up by the scientific journal Nature, which triggered a huge media response. Professor Calarco has since been interviewed by the Süddeutsche Zeitung, the Neue Zürcher Zeitung and various scientific media.