CNJ+ January 2024

Researchers have been working to harness quantum principles by manipulating subatomic particles to do things such as store and process information in new and exciting ways. While still in the early phases of development, quantum computers «think» and function very differently from your own computer. One day, they will do more than simply function as faster and better computers. But to do that, they need components that have never been built before, based on different principles from the ones that govern the transistors in your laptop. Answering the big questions QIS has the potential to fundamentally revolutionize society, but only after some overarching challenges are addressed. Quantum computers are in development but getting them to the point of commercial viability requires making them more reliable. Quantum computers utilize «qubits» as a basic unit of information storage processing.

University of Chicago graduate students Erzsebet Vincent and Paul Klimov (now at Google) investigate quantum bits in semiconductors at the university of Chicago’s Institute for Molecular Engineering. Photo Credit: David Awschalom, University of Chicago

But we have yet to scratch the surface of their potential applications. The institute will design and build quantum sensors and make them available for use and testing. The third center, at the University of California, Berkeley, is working to make sure that we’re ready to use quantum computers once they become more viable. After all, what’s a computer without software? Researchers will develop quantum-computing algorithms optimized both for today’s rudimentary computer prototypes and future, error-free quantum computers. One of their goals is to demonstrate that quantum computers can outperform even the top classical computers. Building a quantum workforce We are on the cusp of a new quantum revolution, and we need a well-trained workforce to accelerate it. NSF has been funding quantum research and education since the 1980s, providing support for thousands of graduate students, post-docs, and early career researchers. Now NSF is going even further, finding ways to train students in the flexible thinking needed to learn about quantum and to adopt education concepts that could have broad benefits across the country. Organizers are now putting together web resources for educators and lining up education experts and industry partners to help shape the project and assess progress. There are many more obstacles that we know about between us the quantum future — and even more we don’t and will encounter along the way. But by identifying these roadblocks and giving researchers the resources they need to remove them, NSF is accelerating the quantum revolution. NSF at a Glance The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 «to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense…» NSF is vital because we support basic research and people to create knowledge that transforms the future.

Creating a single qubit requires getting a particle into a state known as «superposition.» This process is difficult, requiring highly specialized equipment, and it can be disrupted by something as simple as a loud noise in the room. Creating more stable systems is crucial because, as with any information system, a quantum computer has to be reliable to truly reach its potential. That’s one challenge for quantum computers — but society needs more than just computers. It needs quantum networks. And every component that goes into those networks faces scientific questions just as difficult as those that face quantum computers. Software to control and program these quantum computers and networks is also critical to make the functionality of these systems accessible to innovators seeking to develop novel applications using these systems. To help the research community reach its goals, NSF is tackling some of the big questions through its new Quantum Leap Challenge Institutes, three centers funded at $25 million each to make definitive, measurable progress in QIS. The institutes are the centerpiece of NSF’s Quantum Leap, an agency wide effort to significantly advance research in QIS and quantum technology that has been underway since 2017. The institutes will represent the bulk of Quantum Leap investments through 2023. Keeping qubits stable is a challenge, and the more qubits added to a single processor, the greater that challenge becomes. So one center, at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, is taking a different approach — exploring ways to build multiple quantum processors, each with a relatively small number of qubits, and connect them through quantum links. Systems like these could be optimized for different tasks such as making calculations or storing data, creating stronger, more versatile systems. Another institute, at the University of Colorado, will explore the potential of quantum sensors able to measure everything from light to gravity’s effects. This realm of study could bring us more precise data than any available today. Quantum sensors use quantum phenomena in their detections — that means they’re potentially more sensitive and more accurate than classical sensors.

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