Memo to the President on Quantum Computing
Securing American Quantum Primacy
I'm Ylli Bajraktari, CEO of the Special Competitive Studies Project. In today’s episode of the #MemosToThePresident series, I sat down with Senior Advisor PJ Maykish and Associate Director for Platforms, Olivia Armstrong, to highlight our newest memo on Quantum Computing. This memo outlines a plan to ensure the United States remains a global leader in quantum computing, through focused technological innovation, strategic organizational changes, and proactive policy measures. I hope you enjoy the conversation!
As we look ahead to our upcoming AI+Compute & Connectivity Summit next week, this memo sets the stage for the critical discussions we’ll have on how to position America at the forefront of the next technological revolution.
Joining us for a panel conversation on The Infrastructure Behind AI Innovation:
John Roese, Chief Technology Officer and Chief AI Officer at Dell
Ben Schwartz, Infrastructure Partnerships and Policy Lead at OpenAI,
Chris Sharp, Chief Technology Officer at Digital Realty
Moderated by SCSP’s NatSecTech Podcast Host, Jeanne Meserve
Quantum technology is poised to revolutionize industries critical to national security, economic growth, and global competitiveness. However, as the global quantum computing competition intensifies, particularly with China's substantial investments in quantum advancements, the United States must act swiftly to maintain its technological edge. Recently, both nations announced significant quantum computing achievements:
Microsoft's Majorana 1 Chip: Microsoft unveiled the Majorana 1 chip, leveraging a new state of matter—a topological superconductor—to run powerful quantum computers. This breakthrough represents the first use-case of a functional topological qubit, which is inherently more stable and less error-prone than traditional qubits, thereby addressing a major challenge in the field.
Peking University Integrated Photonic Quantum Chips: Chinese scientists achieved a breakthrough in integrated photonic quantum chips by demonstrating large-scale quantum entanglement on an optical chip. This advancement lays the foundation for scalable quantum entanglement, holding promise for the creation of a quantum internet.
Both nations are intensely working towards achieving a first-mover advantage in quantum computing and positioning themselves at the forefront of the next technological revolution.
To secure U.S. leadership in quantum computing, the following priorities must be addressed:
Achieve and Sustain Quantum Leadership: Moving out as a nation involves two organizational moves. First, the United States must prioritize quantum computing research and development through the promotion of the National Quantum Initiative. And second, additional federal funding is needed to ensure first-mover advantage in quantum computing which will directly impact critical sectors and the future of national security and economic growth.
Accelerate Public-Private Collaboration: A quantum moonshot and greater systematic collaboration to out-learn rival nations is needed to be more competitive. A moonshot naturally brings players together for a specific national security achievement. Existing collaborations like the Quantum Economic Development Consortium and Elevate Quantum (a national tech hub) are a promising start, but increased and systematic intra-governmental collaboration would place the nation on a more competitive footing.
Protect Quantum Security and Resilience: The United States must take proactive measures to view quantum information science as an “offensive and defensive” domain. One step would be establishing an offensive capabilities unit via the National Quantum Initiative or relevant agency. The focus would be to secure quantum technologies from adversarial threats and ensure the security of critical systems vulnerable to quantum-enabled cyberattacks.
A Bold Vision for Quantum Leadership
By small organization moves, an audacious goal, increased collaboration, and an offensive mindset, the United States can strengthen and sustain its leadership in quantum technologies, ensuring national security and economic prosperity for generations to come.