The laser itself is one of the most prominent examples of applied quantum physics. For Einstein, it was just a theoretical possibility. Resourceful minds turned it into a functioning technology, and today it is impossible to imagine our everyday lives without it. With our help, researchers are working on quantum applications that seem as fantastic today as the laser did in Einstein’s day.

Global corporations are currently engaged in a race to build the fastest quantum computer, keeping legions of researchers and scientists on their toes. Their experimental computers are huge. Much of the technical effort is still spent on cooling because the underlying quantum effects currently exist only at temperatures close to absolute zero (-273.15°C). The first commercial quantum computers are, therefore, more likely to replace data centers than laptops. However, a quantum laptop will probably be superfluous anyway because the new computers are so fast that we will only need access terminals at home. Computing power will be completely outsourced to the cloud of a few supercomputers.

Where does data protection fit in with the global quantum cloud? Research is already in progress to address this challenge – using quantum technology, of course. In their 2016 Quantum Manifesto, European scientists defined four research fields that should allow us to tap into the quantum future: communication, simulation, sensing, and computing. In this context, quantum cryptography will play a crucial role in the »communication« research field.