Chinese breakthrough intensifies global quantum technology race

Chinese scientists recently produced the first-ever, room-temperature time crystal, which has triggered a new round of activities in the US, UK, and European Union to promote development in the field of quantum technology.

In the past month, the field of quantum physics has seen two major announcements. First, the United Nations has proclaimed 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology. Second, and potentially much more significantly, Chinese researchers have demonstrated the ability to create room-temperature time crystals for the first time, prompting researchers in the US, the UK, and the European Union to accelerate efforts to seek advancements in quantum technology.

In July 2024, a team of physicists from China’s Tsinghua University, working with scientists from Denmark and Austria, published a paper revealing that they had created and observed room-temperature time crystals, which until now have only been created in conditions with near absolute zero temperatures. The development of room-temperature time crystals, which are more stable with a longer lifespan than time crystals created under “deep freeze” conditions, could facilitate greater advances in quantum research and the development of quantum technology. Stable time crystals could also be used in quantum components and future quantum smartphones, and as highly sensitive magnetic-field detectors or as quantum computer memory with hyper-fast processing power.

Global quantum technology race intensifies

Beijing has marked quantum as a strategic priority in China’s goal in becoming a “manufacturing powerhouse.”^[1] China is already the world’s largest investor in quantum technology, way ahead of the UK, US, Germany, South Korea, and Russia.^[2] This recent breakthrough is just the latest indicator that China is fully committed to be the global quantum leader.  

However, China will face greater competition from other countries, which possess strong capacity to develop quantum technology. For example, the US boasts significant private sector R&D activities and investment from the likes of Google and IBM, which are playing a pivotal role in quantum technology development. At the same time, the US, UK, and European Union are all increasingly aware of the need to step up innovation in the field, particularly after this Chinese breakthrough.

Indeed, in the weeks following the announcement, the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) allocated $140 million to develop a new quantum computing center in Chicago, while the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) announced a multi-million-dollar collaboration with the University of Copenhagen in Denmark to share research and advance quantum computing solutions. On 31 July, the UK government announced an investment of $127 million to develop five quantum computing research centers at the University of Oxford.

^[1] Addison Marcum, “China’s Quantum Encryption Advantage Poses Risks,” Pamir Consulting, 3 May 2024 (https://pamirllc.com/blog/chinas-quantum-encryption-advantage-poses-risks).

^[2] Ibid.