What it is
Quantum technologies are devices and methods that use the rules of quantum physics, the physics of atoms, electrons and light, to do things that ordinary technology cannot do, or cannot do as well.
Since the portal's taxonomy 2.0, which follows the draft Strategic Research and Industry Agenda of 2026, they are grouped into four pillars: quantum computing and simulation, which processes information in a new way and recreates hard problems in a controllable system; quantum communication, which shares and protects information; quantum sensing and metrology, which measures with extreme precision; and enabling technologies and supply chain, the lasers, cooling systems, control electronics, materials and fabrication that the other three are built from.
Further reading
- Understanding Quantum Technologies 2026: Key Takeaways (Olivier Ezratty, Key Takeaways version of the 9th edition (A4 PDF), ISSN 2680-0527, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)A short summary of the whole book, from the author’s site.
- Understanding Quantum Technologies 2025 (Olivier Ezratty, 8th edition, version 8.1 of 30 October 2025, arXiv:2111.15352 (v6), doi:10.48550/arXiv.2111.15352, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)The whole book
- Understanding Quantum Technologies 2026 (Olivier Ezratty, 9th edition, version 9.0 of 17 October 2026 (latest edition))The whole book
Olivier Ezratty, Understanding Quantum Technologies (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). Links only; no text of the book is reproduced on this portal.
How it works
Quantum physics is about a hundred years old and already powers everyday technology. Transistors, lasers, LEDs, MRI scanners and the atomic clocks behind satellite navigation all rely on it. This is often called the first quantum revolution: devices that use quantum effects in very large numbers of particles at once.
The second quantum revolution is about controlling individual quantum systems, such as single atoms, ions, photons or electrons, and using superposition and entanglement directly. The next topic explains these ideas in plain language; the later topics show what each pillar builds with them.
Try it: match the use to its pillar
Read each use and choose the pillar it belongs to.
Why it matters
Quantum technologies could change how medicines and materials are designed, how sensitive data is protected and how precisely we navigate, image the body or survey the ground beneath us. Some uses, such as atomic clocks and quantum random number generators, are already on the market; others depend on hardware that is still being developed, and nobody can say exactly when it will be ready.
They also matter for security and independence. A large quantum computer could break some of the encryption used today, so governments and companies are preparing new protections now. Regions that build the hardware, software and skills themselves depend less on others for critical technology.
Europe’s position
Many of the founders of quantum physics worked in Europe, and European laboratories remain among the leaders in research. The EU launched the Quantum Flagship in 2018 to help turn that research into products, and the Quantum Europe Strategy of July 2025 aims to make Europe a global leader in quantum technologies by 2030.
Secure quantum communication networks (EuroQCI), quantum computers hosted at European supercomputing centres through EuroHPC, pilot lines for quantum chips and national programmes all build on that base.
On this site
Pages of this portal
Glossary
- Quantum technology
- A device or method that uses quantum effects, such as superposition or entanglement, for a practical purpose.
- First quantum revolution
- Technologies such as transistors, lasers and MRI that rely on quantum effects in large numbers of particles.
- Second quantum revolution
- The current phase, in which individual quantum systems are controlled and used directly.
- Quantum Flagship
- The EU research and innovation initiative for quantum technologies, launched in 2018.