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Quantum( SENSING) leap
Not even the authors of Fantastic Voyage, who imagined the above mentioned submarine diving through streams of blood cells and lymphocites, dared conceive a more extreme scenario in which the dimensions of the vessel were reduced to nanometric dimensions to observe the internal mechanism of a single cell. This has been now indirectly realized by probing the temperature variations inside the membrane of a mice neuron by means of a diamond nanosensor, i. e. a 100 nm diameter-wide diamond crystal containing the temperature sensitive NV centers. This nanosensor was capable of detecting shifts of the internal temperature of the neuron correlated to different intensity of its signaling activity, stimulated through a protocol consisting of the injection of different doping substances. This multidisciplinary experiment( involving quantum and laser physics, biotechnology, and microwave electronics) not only proves the first ever measurement of a real metabolic process at the single cell scale in mammalians, but also generates further debate as the detected local temperature increase following stimulation is greater than expected, as high as 1 ° C.
Following the great success in the academic field, it is natural that these NV-based system are nowadays recognized as potential objects of interest also for industrial application and several
Figure 2. Hierarchy of the quantum-based technologies with particular focus on solid state systems, including NV-based sensors.
companies and SMEs have started commercializing products based on this technology( See TAB. 1).
For a decisive interest from the industry and a concrete penetration of these devices in the market, two key aspects are expected: the increase of the technology readiness level( TRL) and the development of documentary standards.
Standardization: a global effort
The Development of standards at European level and the harmonization of standards within the European Union are provided by CEN( European Committee for Standardization) and CENELEC( European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization). The need for standardization of Quantum Technologies was identified as an emerging key requirement for industrial applications by the CEN / CENELEC, which kicked-off a dedicated Focus Group( FGQT) in 2020 [ 6 ]. This group of experts developed a roadmap about quantum-technologies and their standardisation needs. This roadmap documents that there are not standards related to NVcenters based sensors and lack of standards for quantum sensor industry is commonly seen as a barrier to market acceptance of new relevant products [...]. The standardisation will help multiple industries in the quantum technologies sector. The existence of a standard that stakeholders can adhere to would therefore significantly de-risk further investments in the market.
Following the publication of the first release of the Roadmap, the activities of the Focus Group moved in a new entity called Joint Technical Committee 22“ Quantum Technology”( CEN / CLC JTC-22 QT, www. cencenelec. eu / areas-of-work / cencenelec-topics / quantum-technologies /), which kicked off in 2022 and is nowadays active.
Similarly, at the International level, ISO( International Organization for Standardization) and IEC( International Electrotechnical Commission) are two key international organizations that develop and publish global standards. ISO focuses on a wide range of standards across various industries, including quality management, safety, environmental, and technological standards. IEC is dedicated to international standards in the electrotechnical and electronic fields, covering areas like electrical engineering, energy, and telecommunications.
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