Entanglement Weaves the Future

A century has passed since the birth of quantum mechanics.^*1
In this commemorative year, the Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to three researchers^*2 whose discoveries in circuit-based macroscopic tunneling and energy quantization underpin today’s “quantum computer.”
Quantum phenomena—matter’s behavior governed by quantum mechanics—are also spawning visions of “quantum sensors” and “quantum cryptography,” igniting a fierce worldwide race to turn these ideas into reality.

Research on “quantum materials” is the stage upon which such phenomena can be brought under control. What we must control are the extreme events woven by a single electron or photon.
The question is: how do we control them?

In the research and development of quantum materials, factors previously negligible—such as trace impurities and defects within crystals, or manufacturing tolerances at the nanometer scale—must now be taken into account. Simultaneously, cutting-edge measurement techniques are revealing ever more distinctive quantum properties, continually expanding the frontiers of the quantum world.

How far has quantum-materials research come, and where is it heading?
Drawing on NIMS’ case studies, we trace its path and sketch the future it suggests.

*1　In 1925, Werner Heisenberg (Germany) published matrix mechanics, marking the birth of quantum mechanics.
*2　For the discovery of macroscopic tunneling and energy quantization in electrical circuits, the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded to John Clarke, Michel Devoret, and John Martinis.