With the success of Micius quantum satellite experiments, China is believed to be one of the leading nations in quantum information science. For the past 10 years, the research funding for quantum information research is mainly from the central and local governments with a total amount of around 987 million USD. Here, we summarize the research efforts China has taken to boost the field of quantum information science from the aspects of both basic research and industrial applications, and discuss the future perspectives.
With the success of Micius quantum satellite experiments, China is believed to be one of the leading nations in quantum information science. For the past 10 years, the research funding for quantum information research is mainly from the central and local governments with a total amount of around 987 million USD. Here, we summarize the research efforts China has taken to boost the field of quantum information science from the aspects of both basic research and industrial applications, and discuss the future perspectives.
We review the national projects on quantum information science and technology in Japan over the past 30 years. The main funding agencies for this field have been the Japan Science and Technology Agency, the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, and the Cabinet Office of the Government of Japan. The total investment in the quantum information science and technology field from these funding agencies for the past 15 years amounts to US$250 million. A similar amount of investment has been put in parallel by industry. As a result, new science frontiers have been created, and some service prototypes, such as quantum key distribution systems and coherent Ising machines, have been delivered to user premises. Recently, Japan has launched new initiatives to advance quantum information science and technology to the next phase, and to make full use of them for the resolution of societal problems.
By using satellites, ultra-long-distance quantum communication and tests of quantum foundations could be achieved at a global scale. The Quantum Experiment Science Satellite (QUESS) in China, also called Micius, one of the scientific satellite programs in the Strategic Priority Program on space science, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, was launched on 16 August 2016. There are totally 4 scientific payloads. We give a brief overview of the quantum experiment science satellite project and present most recent science results. The main scientific goal of the quantum experiment science satellite was achieved in 2017. Here, we introduce the latest achievements in satellite-based quantum communication and large-scale tests of quantum foundations obtained by Micius.
In the early decades of the 20th century, the inception of quantum mechanics catalyzed the first quantum revolution, resulting in groundbreaking technological advances, such as nuclear energy, semiconductors, lasers, nuclear magnetic resonance, superconductivity, and global satellite positioning systems. These innovations have promoted significant progress in material civilization, fundamentally changed the way of life and societal landscape of humanity. Since the 1990s, quantum control technology has made significant strides forward, ushering in a rapid evolution of quantum technologies, notably exemplified by quantum information science. This encompasses domains such as quantum communication, quantum computing, and quantum precision measurement, offering paradigm-shifting solutions for enhancing information transmission security, accelerating computational speed, and elevating measurement precision. These advances hold the potential to provide crucial underpinning for national security and the high-quality development of the national economy. The swift progression of quantum information technology heralds the advent of the second quantum revolution. Following nearly three decades of concerted efforts, China’s quantum information technology field as a whole has achieved a leap. Specifically, China presently assumes a prominent international role in both the research and practical application of quantum communication, leading the global domain in quantum computing, and achieving international preeminence or advanced standing across various facets of quantum precision measurement. Presently, it is imperative to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the developmental priorities in the realm of quantum information in China for the forthcoming 5 to 10 years, in alignment with national strategic priorities and the evolving landscape of international competition. This will enable the proactive establishment of next-generation information technology systems that are secure, efficient, autonomous, and controllable.
The convergence between artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing has global economic and security implications, with applications ranging from advancing pharmaceuticals to breaking traditional encryption. In its national and local state plans, China's policymakers clearly seek global leadership in both of these domains, and encourage synergies between them. Traditional research institutions, namely universities and laboratories, are leading theoretical work and basic research and development for quantum computers to power AI applications, quantum machine learning (ML), and other foundational work. Additionally, China's premier cloud service providers are advancing the two technologies with quantum simulators and online platforms for ML and algorithm development. These companies are driving the commercialization of quantum technologies for industries like pharmaceuticals, materials science, and chemistry. China's investments and rapid advancements warrant analytic attention to avoid technological surprise and inform U.S. policymakers and leaders in these fields. To that end, this chapter identifies key entities pursuing research on the nexus between the two technologies, assesses technology paths and obstacles, and provides indicators for future analyses.
The Micius satellite was successfully launched on 16 August 2016, from Jiuquan, China, orbiting at an altitude of about 500 km. The main scientific goals, including satellite-to-ground quantum key distribution, satellite-based quantum entanglement distribution, ground-to-satellite quantum teleportation, and satellite relayed intercontinental quantum network, were achieved in 2017. As a starting point, the Micius satellite has become a platform for quantum science experiments at the space scale. Here, we introduce the latest experimental achievements (in 2018-2020) based on the Micius satellite.