GCRI · Quantum Technologies
Methods and uncertainty
The methods Quantum Technologies relies on: their equations and assumptions, the data they need, how they are validated and the limits of what they can show.
The workspace for methods and uncertainty.
Evidence grading
Methods and uncertainty · Review wave 3 · Example interface, not a record
Certainty by criterion
0 low to 100 high
Higher is more certain. Values are examples.
Review queue
- R-1Systems using quantum-vulnerable cryptosecond reviewer6 d
- R-2Systems migrated to PQCsecond reviewer2 d
- R-3Testbed qubit countsecond reviewer5 d
Quantum Technologies · Evidence grading. Evidence grading: example names and illustrative values, not a record.
The methods in use.
- 01Physics and quantum scienceCharacterising qubit noise · Metrology of quantum clocks · Verifying quantum effectsApplied here
- 02Quantum computing, sensing and communicationComparable benchmarking · Technology readiness assessment · Security implications trackingApplied here
- 03Cybersecurity and cryptographyCryptographic inventory · Migration prioritisation · QKD implementation reviewApplied here
- 04Materials science and chemistryMaterials for longer coherence · Fabrication variability · Quantum chemistry use casesApplied here
- 05Probability and statisticsFidelity estimation · Testing advantage claims · Analysing patent and investment dataApplied here
Each method, its role in this field and how it is checked.
- PhysicsRole herePhysics and quantum science is the science this platform stewards for the network.Checks appliedIndependent replication; Uncertainty budgets; Classical controls
- Quantum technologyRole hereQuantum computing, sensing and communication is the technology this platform stewards.Checks appliedBest classical baseline; Benchmark conditions; Readiness evidence
- CybersecurityRole hereCybersecurity and cryptography meet quantum technology in two ways: quantum computers threaten current public-key cryptography, and quantum key distribution offers a different way to share keys.Checks appliedInventory completeness; Interoperability testing; Agency alignment
- Materials chemistryRole hereMaterials science and chemistry supply the substrates, films, crystals and photonic components quantum devices are built from, and are a leading target for quantum simulation.Checks appliedCross-lab comparison; Classical baseline; Process documentation
- Probability statisticsRole hereProbability and statistics underpin quantum measurement, benchmarking and claims.Checks appliedModel assumptions; Confidence intervals; Deduplication
How the process runs.
Process explorer · Process
Methods and uncertainty: Source to evidence record
10 steps·4 stages·2 gates
Process
Methods and uncertainty: Source to evidence record
A source is registered and assessed, its record labelled and classified, and a Digital Evidence Passport carries provenance; a correction reaches every dependent record.
01 Intake
- 01Identify the sourceSource · The source stewardDiscovery is not ingestion. Source identification records the source class, steward, institutional role and jurisdiction.
- 03Register the sourceStepRegistration makes a discovered source a governed participant in the evidence lifecycle. It implies no endorsement or certification.
02 Assessment
- 04Jurisdiction and rights classificationGateRights classification identifies licence, consent, confidentiality and reuse limits. The result determines access and routing.
- 05Evidence quality assessmentStepQuality assessment decides whether a record is fit for a defined use. Quality is multidimensional and never a single score.
- 06Evidence labelStepEvery finding carries one of nine evidence labels. Missing data is shown as missing, never as zero.
03 Record
- 07Evidence classificationRecordClassification gives records lifecycle states, such as source-verified, public-safe or restricted. States can coexist and set evidence use.
- 08Source release and identifierRecord · NXS-GRX (canonical data, provenance and risk)A source release records rights, temporal coverage and source lineage. A UNI is allocated through a catalogue and never typed by hand.
- 09Digital Evidence PassportRecordThe passport records provenance, quality, rights, jurisdiction, permitted use and history, so evidence keeps its context when it travels.
04 Use and correction
- 02Correction reaches dependent recordsStep · NXS-GRX (canonical data, provenance and risk)A source correction propagates to dependent cuts and products without rewriting old results.
- 10Public-safe reviewGatePublic-safe review decides whether a record can be shared publicly. It is a distinct stage and is not validation.
Data protocols: evidence lifecycle · Data protocols: core data objects and evidence records · The Global Risks Index (NXS-GRX)Designed programme process, not a record of operation. No cycle has run and every programme is at service level R0. A gate is a programme decision, never a public-authority approval, certification or deployment authorisation. The data-protocol pages describe a design, not a running system.
Where uncertainty in quantum analysis comes from, and how it is shown.
| Source | Why it matters here | How it is reported |
|---|---|---|
| Timing of cryptographically relevant machines | Expert views differ widely | No date asserted; migration planned regardless |
| Hardware performance | Reported metrics are not comparable across platforms | Metrics and conditions stated |
| Application advantage | Demonstrated advantage is narrow | Claims checked against peer-reviewed evidence |
This platform does not predict when quantum computers will break current cryptography.
How uncertainty is reported.
- 01
State assumptions
Each analysis lists its assumptions and the data it depends on.
- 02
Quantify where possible
Ranges and confidence are reported alongside central estimates.
- 03
Validate and compare
Models are checked against observations and, where possible, against other models.
- 04
Publish limits
What an analysis cannot show is stated beside what it can.
Where this page’s references lead.
The bodies and documents this page is read against. Status and editions change; each link goes to the issuing body.
Questions and answers.
Are the methods open?
Contribute evidence from this page.
Reports is the Consortium’s quarterly publication. What you know about this subject can become evidence, a case or a correction in the next edition, credited to you and published under CC BY 4.0 where it is your own work.
- EmailGateway GW-GCRISend it from this pageEvidence, a correction, a case, a method, a review, a translation or profile input. It arrives tagged with this page, so the editor who owns it receives it.
- ZenodoOpen depositDeposit it and submit to the communityPublish your own record on Zenodo with your ORCID iD, then submit it to the Reports community there. Curators review it; the DOI stays yours.
- ReportsGCRISee every way to contributeThe contribution types, how each is reviewed, what credit you receive, the licence and what is never accepted.
Never send personal data, sensitive infrastructure detail or anything you have no right to share. A contribution is reviewed before use; sending it confers no authorship or editorial rights, and sponsorship never buys a finding.
Bring a method, a dataset or a question.
Information and enquiries are open today. An enquiry receives a reference and names the next step; applications, payments, compute allocations and registrations open only when their team, terms and review capacity exist.
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Maps, data and figures on this site are shown for context and general information. They are not advice, forecasts or warnings; the limits of the information are set out in the Disclaimers and Data Notices.