US government shows favor for National Quantum Initiative
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US government shows favor for National Quantum Initiative
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ith strong bipartisan support, proposed legislation to create a National Quantum Initiative (NQI) has made steady progress moving through the US Congress over the summer. If the momentum holds—and there is little reason to think otherwise—a final bill for signature into law by the president is expected to happen this fall. Materials researchers, along with scientists in many other relevant disciplines, say the National Quantum Initiative Act will supercharge efforts to keep US scientists at the leading edge of quantum research. Development of new quantum materials is fundamental to the advancement of quantum technologies such as quantum computing, quantum sensors, and telecommunications systems (see
“Quantum materials: Where many paths meet,” MRS Bulletin, October 2017). The money behind the NQI will need to come in at around $80 million to $120 million, says Idaho National Laboratory materials researcher Jeffery Aguiar, who works in the subfield of condensed-matter physics. “This is what it will take to be competitive internationally,” he says. The federal government’s interest in this initiative stems from the National Science and Technology Council Report in 2016 that summarizes some of the promises of quantum science for the country. Pointing to the interdisciplinary nature of the field as well as the likelihood for considerable economic advantages, the report says, “A coherent, all-of-government approach will facilitate advancement [in this field].”
A superconducting qubit chip. The size of the chip is about 6 mm by 6 mm. The wafer was made by depositing 200 nm of aluminum on a sapphire substrate, followed by a multilayer lithography process, to nanofabricate various elements of the quantum processor. Credit: Michael T. Fang, Martinis Group, UC Santa Barbara.
The National Photonics Initiative, which has been lobbying Congress for this legislation since last year, says that the Act, if it became law, would “establish a comprehensive, coordinated national policy to encourage quantum research and technology and develop a workforce capable of transforming that work into real world applications.” The National Photonics Initiative is a broadbased alliance of industry, academia, and government entities. In June, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology unanimously passed H.R. 6227, the National Quantum Initiative Act, and a companion bill in the Senate, S. 3143, was advanced by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. “It’s going to happen,” Aguiar says, adding that the implications for national security alone make the case for the United States to take the lead in funding quantum technologies. He says he met recently with US House Representative Joe Barton (R-Texas), vice chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, who wanted to know why current funding was not enough. Aguiar says he explained to Barton that countries like China and India are investing heavily in quantum science research and that the work invol
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