At the edge of the possible

Quantum technologies

Investigate ultracold quantum gases in weightlessness
Quantum technologies in space – but also for use on Earth. In the Bose-Einstein Condensate and Cold Atom Laboratory (BECCAL) project, DLR is working with NASA to investigate ultracold quantum gases such as Bose-Einstein condensates on Earth and in microgravity on the International Space Station (ISS).

Where classical technologies reach their limits, quantum technologies open up new possibilities for research, industry and business. New sensors, simulators, communication networks and computers with previously unattainable performance are made possible through the harnessing of quantum mechanical effects.

Thanks to intensive research conducted at DLR and elsewhere, quantum technologies are on the threshold of commercial use. These technologies include:

  • Quantum sensors that are so sensitive and precise that they can detect the magnetic field of an atom or the smallest subterranean gravitational deviations,
  • Quantum simulators that enable the exploration of complex molecules and exotic states of matter in the laboratory, facilitating breakthroughs in fundamental research and the targeted development of new chemicals and materials,
  • Quantum imaging, which can be used to visualise ultra-fine and extremely sensitive structures in fields such as medicine and biology,
  • Quantum computers, which can be used to solve computational and optimisation problems that are unsolvable using classical computers, with benefits such as significant emission and cost savings in the energy and transport sectors; and
  • Quantum networks that not only guarantee tap-proof communication, but in the future will enable distributed quantum sensors, simulators and computers around the world and in space to be interconnected for even greater performance.

Background articles

DLR and the International Year of Quantum, 2025

The UN has declared 2025 the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology. Exactly one hundred years ago, physicist Werner Heisenberg proposed the first rigorous formulation of quantum mechanics.

Quantum Technologies at DLR

DLR researches and develops such quantum technologies at more than a dozen institutes across Germany, such as the Institute of Quantum Technologies in Ulm and the Institute for Satellite Geodesy and Inertial Sensing in Hanover. These institutes and facilities are dedicated to making quantum mechanical phenomena usable, developing technologies, identifying users and supporting commercialisation.

The DLR Quantum Computing Initiative (QCI)

Quantum computers are versatile tools based on the principles of quantum mechanics and will play an important role in research, industry and business in the future. Nevertheless, they require further research and development before they can be used commercially. In order to facilitate effective technology transfer, research institutions must work closely with industry and business.

News

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Multimedia

Video: Departure into the quantum future
The Institute of Quantum Technologies in Ulm.

Video: Departure into the quantum future

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Video: Departure into the quantum future
The Institute of Quantum Technologies in Ulm.

Contact

Felix Knoke

Com­mu­ni­ca­tion DLR Quan­tum Com­put­ing Ini­tia­tive
Ger­man Aerospace Cen­ter (DLR)
Corporate Com­mu­ni­ca­tions
Rutherfordstrasse 2, 12489 Berlin-Adlershof
Tel: +49 30 67055-8417