Abstract Quantum communication has reached a rate bottleneck, yet enhancing its throughput remains of profound significance. Here, we propose a scheme termed semantic quantum secure direct communication (QSDC), which is a novel paradigm integrating semantic communication with QSDC to realize highly efficient, task-oriented, and intrinsically secure information transmission. In semantic QSDC, meaningful semantic content is directly encoded into quantum states, whereby the fundamental laws of qua

Abstract This study focuses on developing a mathematical model to compute geographic coordinates (GCS) for any point on Earth based on the horizontal coordinates of observable celestial bodies with known motion at a specific time, such as the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars. Also, the model is applicable during daylight hours, as it can be implemented using sunlight shadows. Additionally, the position of a celestial body at a given time enables precise determination of geographic directions, such

ASEAN Quantum Summit 2025 by Institut Fizik Malaysia (IFM)* *Pak Shen Choong (Universiti Putra Malaysia), Yung Szen Yap (Universiti Teknologi Malaysia) and Nurisya Mohd Shah (Universiti Putra Malaysia) The Quantum Meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, held from April 25–26, 2024, led to the formation of an ad hoc initiative to build a regional quantum ecosystem in Southeast Asia. Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) hosted the first of these regional events, the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nat

The Physical Society of Japan: 4th AAPPS-JPS Award (2026) (An article by JPS) For the promotion of research on physics in Asian Region, the Physical Society of Japan (JPS) and the Association of Asia Pacific Physical Societies (AAPPS) have jointly given the AAPPS-JPS Award for young JPS members who have achieved outstanding research results. The 2026 winners of the fourth AAPPS-JPS Award are listed below. Ryusuke Jinno Associate Professor, Graduate School of Science, Kobe University Theoretical

AAPPS Council Members Recognized in UNESCO's Quantum 100 by Min Wang* *Beijing Academy of Quantum Information Sciences. In 2025, the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ), the United Nations (UN) launched a major global initiative, The Quantum 100. Representing people at every stage of their professional journey, The Quantum 100 spans academia, industry, education, art, culture, journalism, and policy, reflecting a wide range of skills and specializations. The Quantum 100 w

Quantum HK 2025 was successfully convened in Hong Kong by You-Xin Liu, Yu-Yang Hu, Bo-Xiong Li and Helen Cai* *Institute for Quantum Technology, Hong Kong Polytechnic University.* As a key hub for international research collaboration between the Greater Bay Area of Hong Kong and the world, Hong Kong promotes quantum technology innovation and translation by acting as an intermediary. The Hong Kong International Meeting on Quantum Technology 2025 (Quantum HK 2025), hosted by the Institute for Qua

A Plethora of Conferences Celebrating the Quantum Year in Asia by Leong Chuan Kwek 2025 was designated as the International Year for Quantum Science and Technologies. To celebrate this milestone event, several conferences were organized in Singapore in November 2025 and Hong Kong in December 2025. Also, in November 2025, the French–Singapore Quantum Conference took place, and in December 2025 the ASEAN Quantum Summit was held. 3.1 Quantum conferences in Singapore in November 3.1.1 Quantum Techn

The 23rd National Symposium on Fundamental Optics and Optical Physics by Yu-Bo Sheng The 23rd National Symposium on Fundamental Optics and Optical Physics was successfully held in Nantong Innovation Zone in Jiangsu Province, China from December 19–21, 2025. Jointly hosted by the Fundamental Optics Committee of the Chinese Optical Society, the Optical Physics Committee of the Chinese Physical Society, and the Yangtze River Delta Institute of Optoelectronic Science at Peking University, the sympo