Peanut butter and chocolate. Rice and soy sauce. Milk and cookies. When two good things come together, they can create something better. Such is the case with quantum information, a combination of quantum physics and computational theory. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has contributed to much of its history and is helping to shape its future.
NIST physicist Carl ? Williams said: ? We have been there from the beginning, and he has guided much of the agency's work in the field since the early 21st century. We can now see quantum information moving from a purely scientific field to a technical field.
In the not-too-distant future, quantum versions of conventional computers will be able to perform sophisticated simulations that will lead to new drugs and high-tech materials. In the long run, a more powerful quantum computer, if it can be built, could quickly break the digital security that currently protects online banking and shopping. But fear not: post-quantum encryption could also protect data from quantum cyberattacks launched by adversaries. Quantum random number generators can generate nature's most unpredictable numbers in real time for encryption and other uses.
Many other applications for quantum information could come to market in the next decade. They include advanced quantum sensors that can reveal underground oil and mineral deposits. Quantum information technologies could lead to new portable navigation devices that soldiers could use to find their way around even if GPS networks are jammed or destroyed.
NIST has been at the center of this quantum information revolution because of its broad scientific expertise and its culture of fostering interaction among professionals in many fields.
Notably, partnerships between NIST and public universities have created specialized research institutes that combine the enormous potential of curiosity-driven research with the resources of the federal government.
JQI co-director Gretchen ? Campbell said: ? It's really about scientists being able to study quantum phenomena from different sides and learn to share ideas and speak each other's language to move the field forward more quickly.? The quantum revolution is now spreading beyond universities and federal labs. Companies are investing hundreds of millions of dollars in a race to build quantum computers that promise to disrupt the industry and dramatically improve the technology.