Five years ago, Congress passed the\u00a0National Quantum Initiative Act\u00a0(NQIA). In the years since, research on\u00a0quantum entanglement\u00a0won the Nobel Prize in Physics and applications that once seemed impossible now appear to be within reach.?\u00a0 <\/p>\n
For those applications, global private investment in quantum startups has surged,\u00a0reaching $2.35 billion\u00a0in 2022. However, the U.S. government must strengthen its commitment to this crucial technology, broadening the investments from basic science to supporting technology and engineering.\u00a0 <\/p>\n
With the NQIA due for reauthorization on Sept. 30, we urge Congress to prioritize this legislation.?\u00a0 <\/p>\n
While AI continues to capture headlines and national attention, the global race towards quantum technology continues apace, with applications in communication, computation and sensing that promise to revolutionize our world.?\u00a0 <\/p>\n
Quantum computation will allow us to solve problems that cannot be solved on classical computers \u2014 enabling such real-world gains as greater\u00a0agriculture\u00a0yields and the development of new\u00a0vaccines, drugs and medical treatments.?\u00a0Quantum sensing\u00a0will allow greater precision timing than GPS systems with implications for navigation, defense applications and financial networks.? And while widely used encryption will be rendered vulnerable by quantum computing,\u00a0quantum communication\u00a0promises physically secure communication.?\u00a0 <\/p>\n
Our success in delivering on quantum\u2019s potential depends on two primary inputs: investment and talent.??\u00a0 <\/p>\n
Investment, of course, is more than dollars. The NQIA has done a commendable job of setting clear U.S. priorities and facilitating cross-sector and multidisciplinary coordination.\u00a0The proposal\u00a0to invest in new quantum accelerators and testbeds is welcome, as is the mandate to strengthen NIST\u2019s role in science and standard setting.?Doing so will incubate promising quantum research and development activities and position the U.S. to steer the course of quantum innovation.\u00a0 <\/p>\n
The recent National Quantum Initiative Advisory Committee (NQIAC)\u00a0report\u00a0called for, and we agree, greater flexibility in the use of funding, allowing researchers to remain agile in pursuing new, emerging avenues of research. Signaling long-term commitment (the current legislation ends in 2028) and fully funding NQI activities and quantum portions of the\u00a0CHIPS and Science Act\u00a0are essential.?\u00a0 <\/p>\n
Robust bipartisan support for quantum research and development will continue to\u00a0catalyze\u00a0private and university investment and spur start-up activity. The University of Pittsburgh \u2014 where one of us is the founding director of the Institute for Cyber Law, Policy and Security and the other is vice chancellor for research infrastructure \u2014 recently\u00a0announced\u00a0a $11.6 million investment to establish the Western Pennsylvania Quantum Information Core, providing researchers with state-of-the-art instrumentation. We are proud to play our part in the \u201cwhole-of-nation,\u201d all-hands-on-deck push to deliver quantum technologies for the American people \u2013 and to ensure that the gains aren\u2019t restricted to corporate interests.??\u00a0 <\/p>\n
The talent piece is more complicated. Funding alone, no matter how substantial, cannot generate the\u00a0quantum workforce the country needs. We are in the process of training a quantum workforce; the University of Pittsburgh was one of the first in the country to offer quantum computing as an undergraduate major. Since that time, Harvard, the University of Maryland and other institutions have offered\u00a0various programs\u00a0on the subject.\u00a0 <\/p>\n
We are excited by the newly proposed student traineeships, fellowships and other training models. Such opportunities will position students for rewarding and groundbreaking careers. But those programs will take time \u2014 years \u2014 to yield the highly skilled workers that the field needs. In the meantime, and to ensure enduring U.S. primacy in the field, there exists an inexorable need to open the door to foreign talent wider.?\u00a0 <\/p>\n
In this regard, robust cross-border collaboration can augment U.S.-based talent, so we welcome the proposed\u00a0International Quantum Cooperation Strategy. Continuing and expanding international partnerships that capitalize upon the unique capabilities of U.S. strategic partners and allies is a key element to ensuring global technological leadership.??\u00a0 <\/p>\n
As we look towards quantum, the next technological game changer on the horizon, now is the time to double down. Congress can help deliver on that promise through decisive bipartisan reauthorization of the NQIA.?\u00a0 <\/p>\n
David\u00a0Hickton?is the founding director of the University of Pittsburgh\u2019s Institute for Cyber Law, Policy, and Security. He was the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania from 2010-2016.?\u00a0 <\/p>\n
Robert K. Cunningham\u00a0is the vice chancellor for research infrastructure at the University of Pittsburgh. He also serves as the executive director of Pittsburgh Quantum Institute.?\u00a0 <\/p>\n
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Congress must seize the opportunity to double down on quantum technology - The Hill<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Five years ago, Congress passed the\u00a0National Quantum Initiative Act\u00a0(NQIA). In the years since, research on\u00a0quantum entanglement\u00a0won the Nobel Prize in Physics and applications that once seemed impossible now appear to be within reach.?\u00a0 For those applications, global private investment in quantum startups has surged,\u00a0reaching $2.35 billion\u00a0in 2022 Continue reading