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This article explores the possible divides resulting from the introduction of emerging quantum technologies (QT) to society. It provides the multidirectional impacts of QT on science, technology, geopolitics, and societal structures. We aim to challenge the idea of a singular "quantum divide" by presenting a more comprehensive perspective. To complement the existing literature on the quantum divide, we propose four distinct divides that could result from the emergence of QT. Firstly, we examine the "Quantum Divide in Science", representing the paradigmatic gap among scientists and inequalities in access to knowledge/resources within research communities. We suggest the "Quantum Divide in Technologies through Path-dependency" as the second possible divide, examining the adoption processes of certain technologies to be developed by nations, firms, and research communities. The discussion extends internationally, focusing on the "Quantum Divide between Countries," by dealing with the reasons and outcomes of the adoption processes between countries of different development levels (economically, industrially, and technologically). As the final divide, we put forth our perspective on the "Quantum Divide within Societies", one of the most explored ones in the literature, addressing societal implications. For each type of the divide, we propose several directions to navigate them, some complementary, some incompatible. Finally, we discuss the interconnectedness and distinctness of different types of divides and how they impact the directions to navigate them. This study serves as a guidance for those interested in a more in-depth investigation of the concept of quantum divide, possible directions of navigating the divides, and how the introduction of QT might affect the innovation ecosystems by impacting the scientific, technological, international, and societal institutions., Comment: 40 pages

Quantum computing is a rapidly developing field in the second wave of quantum development, with the potential to revolutionize a wide range of industries and fields of study. As the capabilities of quantum computers continue to advance, they have the potential to significantly impact society and the way we live, work, and think. This makes it important for scholars from a variety of disciplines to come together and consider the implications of these technologies. How this was done has already been explained and published in an abstract way in a joint research paper. But how exactly these abstract theoretical approaches come into an implementation could not be shown so far. The present article shows exactly this., Comment: 36 pages, 2 figures

Quantum computing is a new form of computing that is based on the principles of quantum mechanics. It has the potential to revolutionize many fields, including the humanities and social sciences. The idea behind quantum humanities is to explore the potential of quantum computing to answer new questions in these fields, as well as to consider the potential societal impacts of this technology. This paper proposes a research program for quantum humanities, which includes the application of quantum algorithms to humanities and social science research, the reflection on the methods and techniques of quantum computing, and the evaluation of its potential societal implications. This research program aims to define the field of quantum humanities and to establish it as a meaningful part of the humanities and social sciences., Comment: Change in the authorship structure, one author recinds from authorship

As quantum technologies (QT) advance, their potential impact on and relation with society has been developing into an important issue for exploration. In this paper, we investigate the topic of democratization in the context of QT, particularly quantum computing. The paper contains three main sections. First, we briefly introduce different theories of democracy (participatory, representative, and deliberative) and how the concept of democratization can be formulated with respect to whether democracy is taken as an intrinsic or instrumental value. Second, we give an overview of how the concept of democratization is used in the QT field. Democratization is mainly adopted by companies working on quantum computing and used in a very narrow understanding of the concept. Third, we explore various narratives and counter-narratives concerning democratization in QT. Finally, we explore the general efforts of democratization in QT such as different forms of access, formation of grassroot communities and special interest groups, the emerging culture of manifesto writing, and how these can be located within the different theories of democracy. In conclusion, we argue that although the ongoing efforts in the democratization of QT are necessary steps towards the democratization of this set of emerging technologies, they should not be accepted as sufficient to argue that QT is a democratized field. We argue that more reflexivity and responsiveness regarding the narratives and actions adopted by the actors in the QT field, and making the underlying assumptions of ongoing efforts on democratization of QT explicit, can result in a better technology for society., Comment: 27 pages, 4 tables

In this article, we provide an extensive overview of a wide range of quantum games and interactive tools that have been employed by the community in recent years. The paper presents selected tools, as described by their developers. The list includes Hello Quantum, Hello Qiskit, Particle in a Box, Psi and Delta, QPlayLearn, Virtual Lab by Quantum Flytrap, Quantum Odyssey, ScienceAtHome, and The Virtual Quantum Optics Laboratory. Additionally, we present events for quantum game development: hackathons, game jams, and semester projects. Furthermore, we discuss the Quantum Technologies Education for Everyone (QUTE4E) pilot project, which illustrates an effective integration of these interactive tools with quantum outreach and education activities. Finally, we aim at providing guidelines for incorporating quantum games and interactive tools in pedagogic materials to make quantum technologies more accessible for a wider population., Comment: 39 pages, 17 figures

In this study, we investigated the academic literature on quantum technologies (QT) using bibliometric tools. We used a set of 49,823 articles obtained from the Web of Science (WoS) database using a search query constructed through expert opinion. Analysis of this revealed that QT is deeply rooted in physics, and the majority of the articles are published in physics journals. Keyword analysis revealed that the literature could be clustered into three distinct sets, which are (i) quantum communication/cryptography, (ii) quantum computation, and (iii) physical realizations of quantum systems. We performed a burst analysis that showed the emergence and fading away of certain key concepts in the literature. This is followed by co-citation analysis on the highly cited articles provided by the WoS, using these we devised a set of core corpus of 34 publications. Comparing the most highly cited articles in this set with respect to the initial set we found that there is a clear difference in most cited subjects. Finally, we performed co-citation analyses on country and organization levels to find the central nodes in the literature. Overall, the analyses of the datasets allowed us to cluster the literature into three distinct sets, construct the core corpus of the academic literature in QT, and to identify the key players on country and organization levels, thus offering insight into the current state of the field. Search queries and access to figures are provided in the appendix., Comment: 32 pages, 10 figures, draft version of a working paper