Expanding American Leadership in Quantum Information Science

Denise Ruffner

Dr. Denise Ruffner Bio: Denise is the founder of Women in Quantum, an organization that mentors and provides career advice for the quantum industry. She has held senior leadership roles across the quantum ecosystem, including Chief Business Officer at Atom Computing, and positions at IonQ, Cambridge Quantum Computing, and IBM Quantum. With a non-traditional background in biological sciences, Denise is passionate about expanding access and opportunity for the next generation of quantum leaders. TITLE: Building Quantum Careers: Innovation, Ecosystems, and Diverse Voices Abstract: Quantum technologies are quickly expanding from research into a growing global industry, creating exciting opportunities for students from many backgrounds—not only physics. In this talk, I will share my own non-traditional pathway into the quantum ecosystem, from neuroscience to leadership roles at IBM Quantum, Cambridge Quantum Computing (now Quantinuum), IonQ, and Atom Computing. I will highlight the wide range of careers available in quantum, the importance of interdisciplinary teams, and what it takes to help build this emerging industry. I will also discuss the role of mentorship and inclusion in shaping the future of quantum science and engineering. As the founder of Women in Quantum, I am passionate about expanding access and visibility for underrepresented groups. Quantum is still being written, and today’s students have the chance to shape what it becomes.

Diogo O. Soares-Pinto

David K. Ferry

At the close of the nineteenth century, we stood on the threshold of one of the greatest periods of science, in which the entire world and understanding of science would be shaken to the core and greatly modified. This explosion of knowledge led ultimately to that same information revolution that we live in today. Planck and Einstein showed that light was not continuous but made of small corpuscles that today we call photons. Einstein changed the understanding of mechanics with his theory of relativity: airplanes became conceivable; radio and television blossomed; and the microelectronics industry, which drives most of modern technology, came into being. New areas of science were greatly expanded and developed, and one of these was quantum mechanics, which is the story to be told here. Yet, the development of quantum mechanics and the leadership of Niels Bohr have distorted the understanding of quantum mechanics in a strange way. There are some who would say that Bohr set back the real understanding of quantum mechanics by half a century. I believe they underestimate his role, and it may be something more like a full century. Whether we call it the Copenhagen interpretation, or the Copenhagen orthodoxy, it is the how for the continuing mysticism provided by Mach that is still remaining in quantum mechanics. It is not the why. Why it perseveres and why it was forced on the field in the first place is an important perception to be studied. In this book, I want to trace the development of quantum mechanics and try to uncover the why.

Dohyun Kim, Jungho Kang, Tae‐Woo Kim +2 more

Linda Nhon, Theodore G. Goodson III

Advancements in the field of Quantum Information Science (QIS) are expected to produce groundbreaking technologies in computing, sensing, and communications. These developments could have an impact on the economy and workforce of the United States. In order to achieve this vision and sustain U.S. leadership in QIS, however, a robust research enterprise needs to be established. Presently, QIS has reached an inflection point for new discoveries; searching for novel quantum molecular materials that are operational, practical, and efficient is now the new frontier. Since chemistry is the study of manipulating molecular properties across different lengths and time-scales, it has a tremendous opportunity to take a leading role in this untapped domain. Blending QIS and chemistry together will accelerate progress in designing new quantum molecular materials, developing novel measurement tools and techniques, and establishing new quantum computing standards. A recent National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) report, Advancing Chemistry and Quantum Information Science, points to fundamental research areas at the interface of these two disciplines that should be pursued in the near-term. Here, a brief overview of these research directions as well as collaboration and infrastructure needs identified from the report are presented.

Masahito Hayashi, Satoshi Ishizaka, Akinori Kawachi +2 more