I am a partner in a small family business that makes furniture. A few years ago, I had solar panels fitted on the roof of the unit we use as a factory and warehouse. At that time, I found out a lot of information about it and was surprised to discover that it is quantum physics that explains the rules that underpin their operation!

Who would have thought quantum technology would help me save money as I helped save the planet?

I am very excited: I have just won a scholarship to take the Master’s Degree in Quantum Science and Technologies in Barcelona.

In addition to learning more about the fascinating world of quantum physics, I will lay the foundation for my career in an expanding field that promises to shape the technologies of the future.

And that is not all: the scholarship will allow me to experience a new country and come into contact with a different culture.

I am a physics teacher at a secondary school. I am concerned about people's lack of knowledge about scientific matters. There are more and more pseudo-scientific scams that use technical names and take advantage of misinformation and lack of critical spirit, which do nothing but take money from people. No, there is such thing as a quantum doctor! Science is not magic.

I am trying to get my students to understand scientific concepts and analyze with a critical attitude the information they receive in their daily life.

The speed of a tennis ball is the result of the superposition of a horizontal and a vertical component.

With quantum particles, we can create even more surprising superpositions, such as an atom in an excited and unexcited state at the same time, or a particle that goes along two paths at once.

Applications: computing (greatly speeding up how long it takes to solve some problems); cryptography (allowing ultra-secure communications).

The results of a measurement are probabilistic: we have no way of knowing what will happen when we measure a single particle, but we can accurately calculate the probability of each possible result.

Applications: random numbers. In fact, this is the only way to obtain completely random numbers. Random numbers have applications in cryptography, simulations, gambling, etc.

Quside, an ICFO spin-off, has invented a random number generator based on quantum physics.

The small changes that light undergoes when it crosses spaces and materials can help us measure many features of the world around us, such as distance and temperature, with high precision.

ICFO is working to produce increasingly resistant sensors to measure temperature and electrical fields in extreme conditions, such as a fire.

We are also researching how to build ultra-sensitive sensors thanks to the properties of quantum physics, such as scales that can detect the presence of just one atom with carbon nanotubes and cold atoms that could measure the small magnetic fields generated by our brains.

Photo: Prototype of an ultra-sensitive magnetic field quantum sensor.

Quantum dots are nanoparticles that have the interesting property of emitting and absorbing specific colours of light, which can be adjusted by changing the size and composition of the dot.

Applications: macromolecular markers, microscopy, computing, improving the efficiency of photovoltaic cells and LEDs, etc.

There are already LED televisions that work with quantum dots.

Science and technology have improved and are continuing to improve our quality of life. However, many pressing and important challenges remain that need solutions that research cannot provide directly and quickly. Perhaps we should focus our efforts on reducing social inequalities, unemployment, hunger and poverty. Or can science and technology also help with these aspects?

It is not easy to predict when a particular technology will be available to society: for example, nuclear fusion has appeared to be close to solving the problem of energy production for years, but there are always unforeseen technical problems that push it further away. On the other hand, some technologies that are now all around us, such as lasers, arose from curiosity about fundamental questions, such as the interaction between photons and matter, without a specific application in mind.

How do we choose the fields of research that will provide the greatest benefits?

Their applications in all fields of human activity will radically change our lives, just as electricity and electronics once did. We must invest as much as we can in their development, to make them commercially viable as soon as possible. 

We should not be fooled by illusory promises. We have gone very far with traditional technologies and we still have a long way to go: we should keep the current investment in quantum technologies at the same level. Let scientists do their work and continue to research, focusing on maintaining and improving the technologies that we already have. 

Research into quantum physics and its applications is positive, but we currently have other far more important and pressing issues, such as hunger, poverty, wars and terrorism. Let us maintain research, but invest our money to find solutions to the major problems our society has today.  

Quantum technologies are very promising, but if they are to be effective, they require solid knowledge of their foundations. We should invest in fundamental research: a better understanding of the foundations of quantum physics will naturally lead to the development of its applications.