Quantum sensing uses quantum properties to detect tiny variations in time, gravity or magnetism to make pinpoint measurements. Researchers are already exploring applications in navigation, energy and medicine, among others. Quantum networks use the property of particle entanglement to send qubits between physically separate quantum processors, which facilitates communications — including the transfer of quantum information from those sensors.
Why It Matters
Although much of the attention on quantum technology focuses on quantum computing, quantum sensing and networking are quietly making strides toward practical deployment. “Quantum sensors are reaching maturity levels that will allow us to run pilot [programs] in a wide range of environments and for a wide range of applications,” Mathieu Munsch, CEO of quantum-sensing startup Qnami, recently told consultants at McKinsey Digital. On the adversarial side, the Defense Intelligence Agency’s 2025 Worldwide Threat Assessment warned that these technologies are approaching operational military use.
What’s New
In 2024, Boeing ran the first flight test using quantum sensors that allowed a plane to navigate without GPS for four hours, including during takeoff, landing and other maneuvers. Subsequent successful tests demonstrated that quantum navigation could become a viable option for commercial airplanes to navigate without GPS, making them less dependent on satellites. “The ability to safely operate in GPS-denied environments is critical to both defense and commercial applications,” said Todd Citron, Chief Technology Officer at Boeing. In the United States, quantum networks are already providing secure communications for financial and other security-sensitive applications. Researchers at the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Center for Quantum Networks (CQN) are laying the foundation for a full quantum internet. The New York State Quantum Internet Testbed, the most advanced regional quantum network in the United States, links six locations (nodes) and is part of the NSF Quantum Virtual Lab. In Boston, CQN is testing a metropolitan-scale quantum network, and in Tucson, Arizona, CQN is testing quantum-network protocols, architectures and devices in a multi-node installation.
This article appears in our guide, “Quantum Computing: What You Need to Know Today.” To learn more about this important technology, download it here:
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