A Brief Review on Sustainable Quantum Computing
Harshraj N. Gadbail, Prateek Verma, Utkarsha Sumedh Pacharaney
Quantum computing (QC) offers a pathway to solving certain problems that classical computers struggle with, such as advanced drug discovery, secure cryptography, and the design of new materials. While these capabilities are promising, the field also raises serious sustainability concerns. Running quantum processors demands significant amounts of energy, rare elements, and specialized infrastructure, often without clear guidelines for environmentally responsible design. This paper reviews the environmental impact of QC by examining inefficiencies in energy use, cooling, and hardware manufacturing. The findings indicate that integrating renewable energy sources, adopting energy-efficient quantum hardware designs, and developing optimized, low-power quantum algorithms are the most effective strategies for reducing QC’s environmental footprint. In addition, a set of potential sustainability metrics is proposed to guide future research and implementation. The discussion points to one clear message: if sustainability is not embedded into quantum technology now, we risk repeating the environmental mistakes made in past computing revolutions.
International Conference on Intelligent Cyber Physical Systems and Internet of Things (ICoICI)•Sep 17, 2025•0 citations