Abstract
The great promise of quantum computers comes with the dual challenges of building them and finding their useful applications. We argue that these two challenges should be considered together, by co-designing full-stack quantum computer systems along with their applications in order to hasten their development and potential for scientific discovery. In this context, we identify scientific and community needs, opportunities, a sampling of a few use case studies, and significant challenges for the development of quantum computers for science over the next 2--10 years. This document is written by a community of university, national laboratory, and industrial researchers in the field of Quantum Information Science and Technology, and is based on a summary from a U.S. National Science Foundation workshop on Quantum Computing held on October 21--22, 2019 in Alexandria, VA.
Highlights
Quantum computers represent a fundamental departure from the way we process information
A quantum computer consists of quantum bits or equivalent quantum information carriers that allow the storage and processing of quantum superpositions of data
This often starts with a resource estimate for fault-tolerant error-corrected quantum computers [39], where the quantum information is encoded into highly entangled states with additional qubits in order to protect the system from noise
Summary
The quantum computer promises enormous information storage and processing capacity that can eclipse any possible conventional computer [1]. Some of these quantum technologies, based on individual atoms controlled by laser beams [3,4] or superconducting circuitry coupled with microwave fields [5], are being built into small systems This has led to a new era of quantum computing, paralleling the transition from transistors to integrated circuits many decades ago, which is expected to lead to significant scientific opportunities. In this position paper, we do not focus on the physics or development of qubit technologies at the component level. The overriding high-level aim of this proposed path is to hasten the development of a wide range of concrete scientific applications for quantum computers, with parallel efforts in quantum simulation [9] and quantum communication [10]
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