Quantum Information Science Should Shoot for the Moon

Last week, the National Quantum Initiative Advisory Committee (NQIAC) publicly shared its consolidated recommendations for Congress and the President on the U.S. National Quantum Initiative Act. This marks a big moment for our industry, our country, and our world. It’s a big moment for me personally, too, because I am committed to, and passionate about, realizing quantum computing at scale for our society and our planet.

The immense opportunity ahead

Life on our planet is constantly evolving, and with that evolution we are witnessing changing climates, the growth of human populations, and an increasing scarcity of water and food supply. And these issues impact all of us --- whether it’s the energy we use, the air we breathe, or the food we consume. Quantum information science (QIS) has the opportunity to generate new technologies that could unlock growth and human progress.

The mission to create valuable, global-changing technologies from discoveries in quantum information science is not unlike the ?mission to see humans step foot on the moon. Throughout the Apollo program, scientists had to create new technologies, engineer rockets and vehicles, and engineer all the supporting systems to land in a unique environment, and then enable a person to mobilize in that environment. Space exploration has been transformational for our country: scientific development of space technology through the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) had a FY2021 budget of $23.3 billion and returned nearly a third of that in tax revenue, while also supporting nearly 340,000 jobs and generating a total economic output of $71 billion.[1]

Quantum lift-off

My hope, and my belief, is that we will see a similar trajectory for quantum information science. But to guarantee and sustain that trajectory, quantum scientists, researchers, and engineers from a variety of disciplines need a sustained whole-of-nation – and I’d argue whole-of-world – research and development effort that brings together government, academia, and industry. In that vein, the National Quantum Initiative (NQI) Act was signed into law in December 2018, aiming to accelerate research and discoveries in ?QIS and spur the development of quantum technologies and, more specifically, strengthen the nation's quantum approach in the six areas of science, workforce, industry, infrastructure, security, and international cooperation.

To that end, NQIAC was established as a Federal Advisory Committee to recommend the best strategies for advancing our discoveries, leadership, and economic impacts in quantum information science and technologies. And it was an honor to be appointed as one of three industry experts on the National Quantum Initiative Advisory Committee by President Biden. Last Friday, the NQIAC met to discuss and approve our findings and recommendations on how the US should continue to advance and accelerate quantum information science and technologies.

Unlocking growth and progress

For our country, I hope we are able to not only continue to advance the science and make critical new discoveries, but also accelerate and translate QIS towards economic impact by marshaling our capabilities, commercializing breakthroughs, and finding ways to use quantum technologies to drive economic growth. I imagine a future filled with applications of quantum technologies being used all around us.

Importantly, that also means developing and expanding the quantum workforce, and bringing the fascinating concepts of quantum mechanics to life, through coursework, traineeships, fellowships, and more. Ensuring we are able to lead as a Nation in QIS also means leading in empowering our young people with the skills, knowledge, and passion to not only convert and translate QIS into the next generation of leading technologies, but also to use the technologies and apply them in novel, world-changing ways. Understanding the mixture of mathematics, physics and chemistry required for quantum starts with core STEM education. Understanding the scientific foundations of these technologies needs to be as fundamental as learning to read and write — everything from needing to think about the responsible use of these technologies all the way over to the potential impacts.

To develop a robust quantum research and development pipeline, the United States needs to also ensure that our country attracts and retains passionate, diverse, and innovative people from around the world.

We also need to deepen the work between industry, and government and academic research communities, so that we can accelerate from prototype technology to deeply integrated and scaled quantum systems. Ultimately, in the next phase of the NQI, I want to see our scientific discoveries spur commercialization and economic growth. That will require graduating quantum research from the lab and launching it into a commercialization phase of the technology, and solving engineering challenges along the way. It will require scaling today’s systems up, and engineering systems around them to achieve both scale and application. Industry can play a unique and important role here, for example with an ability to focus on scaling and engineering quantum systems for specific applications where quantum computing can make a difference, such as supporting the synthesis of new materials and the development of more efficient chemistries for key technologies, such as batteries, solar panels, and water treatment.

When I think about how countries around the world are trying to drive quantum information science, and in particular the work underway in the U.S., and our mission at Microsoft to empower people with the ability to do more, I am excited and inspired. I am passionate about seeing new technologies unlock solutions we thought were never possible, solutions to problems that will help elevate our humanity, and make life on our planet better. That doesn’t take just one person, that takes all of us. It takes our diverse, collective genius to realize the full benefits of quantum information science. And it will take all of us coming together to generate its global impacts.?The recent NQIAC recommendations shine light on a path to accelerate toward global impact from quantum at scale. I am both inspired by and supportive of the NQI. I encourage you to learn more and support this important initiative too.

[1] https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-s-economic-benefit-reaches-all-50-states