Quantum Sensing Technologies for Ultrasensitive Biomarker Detection in Biomedical Diagnostics from Fundamental Principles to Clinical Translation

Abstract

Quantum sensing technologies offer unprecedented detection sensitivities down to single-molecule, attomolar detection limits and thus are emerging as transformative tools for ultra-sensitive biomarker detection in biomedical diagnostics. This comprehensive review synthesizes insights from over 380 plus studies to provide recent advances in quantum sensor platforms, examining the fundamental quantum mechanical principles that enable enhanced sensitivity, and surveys a diverse range of quantum sensing technologies along with their applications across the biomedical field. Specifically, nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond, quantum dots, superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs), and other quantum sensing modalities applied to biomarker detection for cancer diagnostics, cardiovascular disease, neurological disorders, and infectious disease detection are reviewed. Further, the key technical challenges that hurdle their clinical translation are critically evaluated. The review results demonstrate that quantum-enhanced biosensors have achieved detection limits of the order of magnitude below conventional methods. Intrinsic to their capabilities, several quantum sensing platforms have progressed to clinical testing and early commercialization efforts. Specifically, for point-of-care diagnosis, early disease detection, and personalized medicine.