Background
“The National Quantum Initiative (NQI) Act became Public Law 115-368 in December 2018 to accelerate American leadership in quantum information science and technology. This is the third Annual Report on the NQI Program, as required by the NQI Act.
The United States has invested in fundamental QIS R&D, with core efforts underway in over a dozen agencies. This report recognizes annual highlights of the entire Federal QIS R&D ecosystem and the substantial and sustained efforts funded by the:
- National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
- National Science Foundation (NSF)
- Department of Energy (DOE)
- Department of Defense (DOD)
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
- National Security Agency (NSA); and
- Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA).
In addition, brief summaries of agency efforts and progress on cross-cutting QIS policy topics are included within the report.
The National Strategic Overview for Quantum Information Science is the strategic plan guiding NQI Program investments. Released by the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Subcommittee on QIS in 2018, the Strategic Overview identifies policy areas discussed within this report, including investing in fundamental quantum information science research, development, and engineering, developing the workforce capacity, engaging with industry, investing in infrastructure, maintaining economic and national security, and encouraging international cooperation.” (1)
About Quantum.Gov
Welcome to quantum.gov, the home of the National Quantum Initiative and its ongoing activities to explore and promote Quantum Information Science (QIS). The National Quantum Initiative Act provides for the continued leadership of the United States in QIS and its technology applications. It calls for a coordinated Federal program to accelerate quantum research and development for the economic and national security of the United States. The United States strategy for QIS R&D and related activities is described in the National Strategic Overview for QIS and supplementary documents.
Executive Summary
Quantum information science (QIS) is a unification of quantum mechanics and information theory — two foundational fields underpinning modern technology — that could yield transformative new types of computers, sensors, and networks, with the potential to improve the Nation’s prosperity and security. Investments in fundamental QIS research lay a foundation for technologies of the future and open new frontiers in science.
The National Quantum Initiative (NQI) Act was enacted in December 2018 to accelerate American leadership in QIS technology. The NQI Act authorizes U.S. Federal departments and agencies (hereafter,
“agencies”) to establish centers and consortia and carry out new programs to foster QIS research and development (R&D). The NQI Act also calls for coordination of QIS R&D efforts across the Federal Government, as well as with industry and the academic community.
Over the last year, the Biden-Harris Administration has taken major steps to continue accelerating U.S. leadership in QIS. In May, the President signed both an Executive Order to Enhance the NQI Advisory Committee and a National Security Memorandum on Promoting United States Leadership in Quantum Computing While Mitigating Risks to Vulnerable Cryptographic Systems. Together, these orders emphasize the importance of a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to move the field forward, while taking important steps to mitigate any potential economic or national security risks.
This is the third annual report on the NQI Program and budget, as required by Section 103(g) of the NQI Act. This report follows a sustained investment in the NQI Program, building up on the establishment of several NQI centers, the Quantum Economic Development Consortium, and new QIS R&D activities. Agencies reported actual budget expenditures for QIS R&D of $449 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2019, $672 million in FY 2020, and $855 million in FY 2021, followed by $918 million of enacted budget authority for QIS R&D in FY 2022, and a requested budget authority of $844 million for QIS R&D in FY 2023.
In line with the National Strategic Overview for Quantum Information Science, the United States is making substantial and sustained investments in fundamental QIS R&D to explore a wide range of applications and nurture a culture of discovery. Major efforts funded by several agencies are recognized in this report. Furthermore, overviews of agency efforts to progress on cross-cutting QIS policy topics such as investing in fundamental science and engineering, developing the workforce capacity, engaging with industry, investing in infrastructure, maintaining economic and national security, and encouraging international cooperation, are provided.
QIS can have profound and positive impacts on society and the way each agency accomplishes its mission. Recognizing the importance of a quantum workforce that is diverse, inclusive, and reflects the
whole-of-society, agencies are prioritizing efforts to ensure all Americans have the opportunity to benefit from participation in QIS. Furthermore, while the development of QIS technology is at an early stage, now is a critical time to develop the fundamental scientific knowledge, infrastructure, and workforce needed to create new applications for QIS-inspired technologies, grow the marketplace, and foster an ecosystem for basic, applied, and translational research in this field.
Introduction
Quantum information science (QIS) builds on quantum mechanics and information theory to explore applications of quantum mechanics to computation, networking, and measurement. The improved
understanding of the quantum world provided by these explorations shows that, in some cases, the performance of quantum information technologies can be vastly superior to that of traditional, classical technologies. Building on key QIS discoveries since the 1980’s, pioneering QIS experiments since the 1990’s, growth in quantum engineering capabilities since the 2000’s, and the development of several commercial activities underway now, the world is on the cusp of a second quantum revolution. The potential for innovations based on QIS and the associated implications for jobs and security motivated the United States to enact the National Quantum Initiative (NQI) Act and increase QIS education and research training opportunities. (1)
The NQI Act became law in2018, “to provide for a coordinated Federal program to accelerate quantum research and development (R&D) for the economic and national security of the United States.” The NQI Act authorizes the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), National Science Foundation (NSF), and Department of Energy (DOE) to strengthen QIS programs, centers, and consortia. The NQI Act also directs the coordination of QIS R&D efforts across the United States Government, including the civilian, defense, and intelligence sectors. To guide these actions, the NQI Act legislates several responsibilities to the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Subcommittee on Quantum Information Science (SCQIS), the National Quantum Coordination Office (NQCO), and the National Quantum Initiative Advisory Committee (NQIAC).
Concurrently, the Defense Quantum Information Science and Technology (QIST) R&D Program, 2 as established and modified by the fiscal year (FY) 2019 and FY 2020 National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAAs), 3,4 respectively, continues the Department of Defense’s (DOD’s) three-decade history of QIS R&D. The FY 2022 NDAA amended the NQI Act to codify the NSTC Subcommittee on Economic and Security Implications of Quantum Science (ESIX), as well as to legislate specific responsibilities to ESIX. (5)
The CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 further amended the NQI Act, authorizing additional activities for NIST, DOE, and SCQIS. 6Altogether, the NQI Program provides an overarching framework to strengthen and coordinate QIS R&D activities across agencies, industry, and the academic community. See Box 1.1 for an overview of the different coordination mechanisms. The National Strategic Overview for QIS recommends strengthening the United States’ approach to QIS R&D by focusing on six areas: science, workforce, industry, infrastructure, security, and international cooperation. (7) Since its publication, the strategy and these six policy pillars have been augmented by
additional reports and plans, all of which are located at www.quantum.gov. *8) These activities build on Federal QIS R&D coordination via interagency activities such as those described in the 2009 NSTC Report on A Federal Vision for QIS, (9) the 2016 NSTC Report from the Interagency Working Group on QIS, (10) and ongoing interagency working group activities of the SCQIS and ESIX. The U.S. QIS R&D efforts are also informed by numerous federally funded workshops led by the QIS R&D community. (11) Key activities and the Federal budgets used to support these efforts are reported in the NQI’s annual reports. Mechanisms to strengthen core programs and coordinate QIS R&D efforts across the Federal Government are also described, as is the progress made by the quantum consortia, centers, and institutes established as part of the NQI.
Sources from the Report
1 – National Quantum Initiative Act (hereinafter “NQI Act”) (Pub. L. 115-368), 15 U.S.C. § 8801 et seq. For the NQI Act with amendments made as of October 2022 see, https://www.quantum.gov/wp content/uploads/2022/08/NQIA2018-NDAA2022-CHIPS2022.pdf
2 – As described in the NQI Act, ‘‘quantum information science’’ means the use of the laws of quantum physics for the storage, transmission, manipulation, computing, or measurement of information. QIST refers to technologies that leverage QIS.
3 – John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (Pub. L. 115–232) § 234, 10 U.S.C. § 2 – 358 note
4 – National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (Pub. L. 116-92) §220
5 – National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (Pub. L. 117-81) § 6606 (amending the NQI Act to add a new section 105), 15 U.S.C. §8814a
6 – Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act (division B of the law commonly referred to as the CHIPS and Science Act (Pub. L. 117-167)) §§ 10661 and 10104(b) (amending NQI Act to add new sections 103(h), 201(a)(3)-(5), and 403-404), 15 U.S.C. §§ 8813(h), 8831(a)(3)- (5), and 8853-8854
7 – https://www.quantum.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/2018_NSTC_National_Strategic_Overview_QIS.pdf
9 – https://www.quantum.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/2009_NSTC_Federal_Vision_QIS.pdf
10 – https://www.quantum.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/2016_NSTC_Advancing_QIS.pdf
11 – https://www.quantum.gov/publications-and-resources/publication-library
In Late December 2022, President Biden Signed Quantum Cybersecurity Preparedness Act into Law
