Foundations of Quantum Science

Quantum science rests on a set of foundational concepts - superposition, entanglement, measurement, coherence, nonlocality, and more - that are simultaneously among the most well-established and most contested ideas in all of physics. As the field expands and draws in researchers from computer science, engineering, mathematics, and beyond, the need for precise, authoritative, and expert-written treatments of these concepts has never been greater. Yet the literature remains fragmented: foundational accounts are scattered across decades of textbooks and review articles, each written for different audiences and with inconsistent depth and framing.This collection takes a targeted approach. Each contribution is a short, focused paper in which a leading researcher offers their own expert account of a specific foundational concept in quantum science - its physical meaning, mathematical structure, current consensus, and open questions. These are not broad literature surveys. They are first-hand treatments, written by researchers who have spent careers working directly with these ideas, and aimed at scientists across the physical and mathematical sciences who want a rigorous point of entry into a concept they encounter in the field.The result will be a curated, open-access reference: a compendium of foundational knowledge, as seen from the inside.Topics of interest include:- Quantum superposition: meaning, limits, and common misconceptions- Entanglement: structure, classification, and physical consequences- The quantum measurement problem and its interpretive landscape- Decoherence and the emergence of classical behaviour- Bell inequalities, nonlocality, and their experimental tests- Quantum correlations beyond entanglement: coherence, discord, and steering- Complementarity, wave-particle duality, and the uncertainty principle- Quantum interference and indistinguishability- Open quantum systems and quantum channels- Quantum thermodynamics: work, heat, and entropy at the quantum scale- Symmetry, conservation laws, and superselection rules- Quantum chaos, scrambling, and information spreading- Foundations of quantum field theory- Quantum error correction: principles and fundamental limits- Interpretations of quantum mechanics: current status and live tensionsEach contribution should be short and focused - one concept, treated with depth and clarity. Authors are encouraged to go beyond standard exposition and offer their own perspective: where the concept remains contested, what the key open questions are, and what they consider the most important directions ahead.Preferred article types are Perspectives, Mini-Reviews, and Concept and Theory articles. Original Research articles are welcome where the contribution directly advances foundational understanding. Topic editors: Le-Man Kuang, Marcin Wieśniak, Yuval Boger, Naihuan Jing, Almut Beige Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/83011/foundations-of-quantum-science