Quantum Technologies: The Second Quantum Revolution

Quantum theory as a part of modern physics has been used for more than a century, and the first quantum revolution has brought forward multiple inventions such as lasers, MRI devices, and transistors. These first waves of quantum technologies play a considerable role in our contemporary economic and social lives. Starting from the 1980s and the formulation of Quantum Information Science, there has been a second wave of quantum technologies, such as quantum cryptography/communication, quantum computation/simulation, and quantum metrology/sensing. Especially after the popularisation of quantum computers in recent years, and the launching of nearly 30 public national or regional funding initiatives, quantum technologies and the whole notion of the Second Quantum Revolution have become phenomena suitable for investigation.

In this Collection, we are gathering studies on QT and the Second Quantum Revolution, mainly from ethics and other fields of philosophy, sociology, especially science and technology studies (STS), history, communication studies and political science, as well as contributions at the intersections of art, science and technology. We are looking for empirical, conceptual and (other) critical studies with a message for the social science and humanities community and possibly for the QT development community.