Quantum sensing of biomolecules: principles, progress, and prospects

TY - JOUR

T1 - Quantum sensing of biomolecules: principles, progress, and prospects

AU - Mishra, Sourav

AU - McBeth, Craig

AU - Adegoke, Oluwasesan

AU - Jain, Akhil

AU - Achadu, Ojodomo J.

N1 - ©2026 The Author(s).

PY - 2026/6/29

Y1 - 2026/6/29

N2 - Quantum sensing (QS) is a rapidly developing field at the intersection of physics, biology, and nanotechnology. It holds great promise for improving how we detect biomolecules in health, diagnostics, and environmental monitoring, and this potential is reflected in the rapid development and growing interest in advanced biosensing technologies. Traditional sensing methods, while useful, often face limits in sensitivity, speed, and the ability to analyze tiny amounts or subtle changes in biomolecules. QS uses coherence, entanglement, and superposition to achieve much higher sensitivity and precision than classical techniques. These technologies rely on advanced platforms like nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamonds, quantum dots. They can measure tiny changes in magnetic fields, electric charges, or fluorescence signals caused by biomolecules like proteins, DNA, lipids, carbohydrates and metabolites. This review explains the fundamental principles behind QS and explores how various physical platforms are used to detect and study biomolecules. It highlights recent breakthroughs in detecting single molecules, monitoring enzymatic reactions in real time, and imaging biological structures with quantum-level detail. We also discuss how nanotechnology is powering the field, improving integration through nanoparticle coupling, microfluidics, and specialized bio interfaces to target and amplify signals in practical settings. This review discusses current efforts to overcome existing challenges and highlights future directions, including the development of quantum-enhanced clinical sensors, integration with artificial intelligence for data analysis, and hybrid quantum–classical sensing strategies. These advances are expected to accelerate the translation of quantum biosensing technologies from laboratory demonstrations to practical clinical and environmental applications in the coming decade.

AB - Quantum sensing (QS) is a rapidly developing field at the intersection of physics, biology, and nanotechnology. It holds great promise for improving how we detect biomolecules in health, diagnostics, and environmental monitoring, and this potential is reflected in the rapid development and growing interest in advanced biosensing technologies. Traditional sensing methods, while useful, often face limits in sensitivity, speed, and the ability to analyze tiny amounts or subtle changes in biomolecules. QS uses coherence, entanglement, and superposition to achieve much higher sensitivity and precision than classical techniques. These technologies rely on advanced platforms like nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamonds, quantum dots. They can measure tiny changes in magnetic fields, electric charges, or fluorescence signals caused by biomolecules like proteins, DNA, lipids, carbohydrates and metabolites. This review explains the fundamental principles behind QS and explores how various physical platforms are used to detect and study biomolecules. It highlights recent breakthroughs in detecting single molecules, monitoring enzymatic reactions in real time, and imaging biological structures with quantum-level detail. We also discuss how nanotechnology is powering the field, improving integration through nanoparticle coupling, microfluidics, and specialized bio interfaces to target and amplify signals in practical settings. This review discusses current efforts to overcome existing challenges and highlights future directions, including the development of quantum-enhanced clinical sensors, integration with artificial intelligence for data analysis, and hybrid quantum–classical sensing strategies. These advances are expected to accelerate the translation of quantum biosensing technologies from laboratory demonstrations to practical clinical and environmental applications in the coming decade.

KW - quantum sensing

KW - bioelectronics

KW - biosensors

KW - sensors

KW - biomolecules

KW - photonics

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105043340022

U2 - 10.1088/2515-7647/ae7c45

DO - 10.1088/2515-7647/ae7c45

M3 - Article

SN - 2515-7647

VL - 8

JO - JPhys: Photonics

JF - JPhys: Photonics

IS - 2

M1 - 022006

ER -