NATIONAL STRATEGIC 

OVERVIEW FOR QUANTUM 

INFORMATION SCIENCE

Product of the 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON QUANTUM INFORMATION SCIENCE 

under the 

COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE 

of the 

NATIONAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL 

SEPTEMBER 2018
National Strategic Overview for Quantum Information Science 

i 

About the National Science and Technology Council 

The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) is the principal means by which the Executive 

Branch coordinates science and technology policy across the diverse entities that make up the Federal 

research and development enterprise. A primary objective of the NSTC is to ensure science and 

technology policy decisions and programs are consistent with the President's stated goals. The NSTC 

prepares research and development strategies that are coordinated across Federal agencies aimed at 

accomplishing multiple national goals. The work of the NSTC is organized under committees that 

oversee subcommittees and working groups focused on different aspects of science and technology. 

More information is available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/nstc. 

About the Office of Science and Technology Policy 

The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) was established by the National Science and 

Technology Policy, Organization, and Priorities Act of 1976 to provide the President and others within 

the Executive Office of the President with advice on the scientific, engineering, and technological 

aspects of the economy, national security, homeland security, health, foreign relations, the 

environment, and the technological recovery and use of resources, among other topics. OSTP leads 

interagency science and technology policy coordination efforts, assists the Office of Management and 

Budget with an annual review and analysis of Federal research and development in budgets, and serves 

as a source of scientific and technological analysis and judgment for the President with respect to major 

policies, plans, and programs of the Federal Government. More information is available at 

https://www.whitehouse.gov/ostp. 

About the Subcommittee on Quantum Information Science 

The NSTC Subcommittee on Quantum Information Science (SCQIS) coordinates Federal research and 

development (R&D) in quantum information science and related technologies under the auspices of the 

NSTC’s Committee on Science. This coordinated R&D aims to ensure that U.S. leadership in quantum 

information science and its applications is maintained and expanded over the next decade. 

Acknowledgments 

This strategic overview was developed through the NSTC SCQIS with additional contributions from 

member agencies: Department of Agriculture, Department of Defense, Department of Energy, National 

Institutes of Health, Department of the Interior, Department of Homeland Security, Department of 

State, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 

National Science Foundation, National Security Agency, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, 

Office of Management and Budget, and Office of Science and Technology Policy. 

Copyright Information 

This document is a work of the United States Government and is in the public domain (see 17 U.S.C. 

§105). Subject to the stipulations below, it may be distributed and copied with acknowledgment to 

OSTP. Copyrights to graphics included in this document are reserved by the original copyright 

holders or their assignees and are used here under the government’s license and by permission. 

Requests to use any images must be made to the provider identified in the image credits or to OSTP 

if no provider is identified. Printed in the United States of America, 2018. 
National Strategic Overview for Quantum Information Science 

ii 

NATIONAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL

Chair 

Ted Wackler, Deputy Chief of Staff and 

Assistant Director, Office of Science and 

Technology Policy 

Staff 

Chloe Kontos, Executive Director, National 

Science and Technology Council

COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE 

Co-Chairs 

Francis Collins, National Institutes of Health

France Córdova, National Science Foundation 

Michael Kratsios, Office of Science and Technology Policy 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON QUANTUM INFORMATION SCIENCE

Co-Chairs 

J. Stephen Binkley, Department of Energy 

Carl Williams, National Institute of Standards 

and Technology 

Anne Kinney, National Science Foundation 

Jacob Taylor, Office of Science and 

Technology Policy 

Executive Secretary

Charles Tahan, National Security Agency 

Members 

Tali Bar-Shalom, OMB

Rupak Biswas, NASA

Brad Blakestad, ODNI

Denise Caldwell, NSF

Patrick Carrick, DHS 

Stacey Dixon, ODNI 

Deborah Frincke, NSA

Megan Frisk, State

Barry Geldzahler, NASA

Barbara Helland, DOE

John Kramar, NIST

Marvin Kruger, NSA

Dimitri Kusnezov, DOE

Thomas Lehner, NIH

Simon Liu, USDA

Paul Lopata, DOD

Jason Matheny, ODNI

Mary Miller, DOD

Bindu Nair, DOD

Dale Ormond, DOD

Yi Pei, OMB

Timothy Petty, DOI

Nathaniel Schaefle, State 
 LSN Report on 2017 Operationalizing Software Defined Networks Workshop 

iii

Acronyms 

USDA Department of Agriculture 

DOD Department of Defense 

DOE Department of Energy 

NIH National Institutes of Health 

DOI Department of the Interior 

DHS Department of Homeland Security 

State Department of State 

NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

NIST National Institute of Standards and Technology 

NSF National Science Foundation 

NSA National Security Agency 

ODNI Office of the Director of National Intelligence 

OMB Office of Management and Budget 

OSTP Office of Science and Technology Policy 

QIS Quantum Information Science 

NSTC National Science and Technology Council 

SCQIS NSTC Subcommittee on Quantum Information Science
National Strategic Overview for Quantum Information Science 

1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 Quantum information science: the next technological revolution .................................................... 2 

2 Summary of key policy opportunities ................................................................................................. 3 

3 Challenges this strategic overview addresses .................................................................................... 5 

4 Choosing a science-first approach to QIS ........................................................................................... 5 

5 Creating a quantum-smart workforce for tomorrow .......................................................................... 7 

6 Deepening engagement with quantum industry ................................................................................ 8

7 Providing critical infrastructure........................................................................................................... 9 

8 Maintaining national security and economic growth ....................................................................... 11 

9 Advancing international cooperation ............................................................................................... 12 

Appendix: Current U.S. leadership in QIS research areas ......................................................................... 14 

 
National Strategic Overview for Quantum Information Science 

2 

1 Quantum information science: the next technological revolution 

Quantum information science (QIS) applies the best understanding of the sub-atomic world—quantum 

theory—to generate new knowledge and technologies. Through developments in QIS, the United States 

can improve its industrial base, create jobs, and provide economic and national security benefits. Prior 

examples of QIS-related technologies include semiconductor microelectronics, photonics, the global 

positioning system (GPS), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These underpin significant parts of 

the national economic and defense infrastructure. Future scientific and technological discoveries from 

QIS may be even more impactful. Long-running U.S. Government investments in QIS and more recent 

industry involvement have transformed this scientific field into a nascent pillar of the American 

research and development enterprise. The Trump administration is committed to maintaining and 

expanding American leadership in QIS to enable future long-term benefits from, and protection of, the 

science and technology created through this research. Based on the collective input of all the 

Government agencies invested or interested in QIS, this document presents a national strategic 

approach to achieving this goal. 

Specifically, the United States will create a visible, systematic, national approach to quantum 

information research and development, organized under a single brand and coordinated by the 

National Science and Technology Council’s (NSTC) Subcommittee on Quantum Information Science 

(SCQIS). These efforts will leverage existing programs and approaches, adapt to the changing and 

improving scientific and technical knowledge, reflect the best understanding of opportunities and 

challenges in QIS for the Nation, and take new steps where appropriate. The national effort will: 

 Focus on a science-first approach that aims to identify and solve Grand Challenges: problems 

whose solutions enable transformative scientific and industrial progress; 

 Build a quantum-smart and diverse workforce to meet the needs of a growing field; 

 Encourage industry engagement, providing appropriate mechanisms for public-private 

partnerships; 

 Provide the key infrastructure and support needed to realize the scientific and technological 

opportunities; 

 Drive economic growth; 

 Maintain national security; and 

 Continue to develop international collaboration and cooperation. 

The key next step will be to develop agency-level plans that address the identified approaches and 

policy opportunities in the next section, which will be integrated into an overall strategic plan. This will 

enable new opportunities on a ten-year horizon, possibly including: the development of quantum 

processors which may enable limited computing applications; new sensors for biotechnology and 

defense; next-generation positioning, navigation, and timing systems for military and commercial 

applications; new approaches to understanding materials, chemistry, and even gravity through 

quantum information theory; novel algorithms for machine learning and optimization; and 

transformative cyber security systems including quantum-resistant cryptography in response to 

developments in QIS. 
National Strategic Overview for Quantum Information Science 

3 

2 Summary of key policy opportunities

The policy opportunities identified in this strategic overview are summarized below. Following these 

recommendations, along with detailed planning and coordination made possible by the SCQIS as well 

as engagement with stakeholders, is crucial for the United States’ future success. 

Choosing a science-first approach to QIS 

 Strengthen Federally-funded core research programs and use approaches ranging from 

distributed small grants to centers and consortia where appropriate, to support long-term QIS 

research 

 Foster dialogue and collaboration between quantum-focused researchers across disciplines, 

and engage the broader scientific community to highlight and share relevant scientific 

advances, and grow and coordinate the quantum research community 

 Establish and utilize a formal coordination body, such as the National Science and Technology 

Council Subcommittee on Quantum Information Science (SCQIS) 

 Focus on Grand Challenges as a mechanism for driving advancements in the science and 

technology of QIS, and encourage Federal agencies to identify, prioritize, and coordinate 

investment in both fundamental and applied challenges 

Creating a quantum-smart workforce for tomorrow 

 Encourage industry and academia to create convergent, trans-sector approaches for diverse 

workforce development to meet the Nation’s QIS needs 

 Use and enhance existing programs to increase the size of the QIS-ready workforce 

 Encourage academia to consider quantum science and engineering as its own discipline, with 

needs for new faculty, programs, and initiatives at all levels 

 Address education in the area of quantum science at an early stage, including elementary, 

middle and high school levels 

 Reach out to broader audiences by working with involved agencies and industry to highlight 

their investments, along with novel or unconventional approaches like utilizing art, media, 

and engagement with cultural institutions 

 Encourage the QIS community to track and estimate the future workforce needs of quantum 

industry 

Deepening engagement with quantum industry 

 Foster the formation of a U.S. Quantum Consortium with participants from industry, 

academia, and Government to forecast and establish consensus on needs and roadblocks, 

coordinate efforts in pre-competitive research, address intellectual property concerns, and 

streamline technology-transfer mechanisms 

 Increase investment in joint quantum technology research centers by partnerships between 

industry, academia, and Government to accelerate pre-competitive quantum research and 

development 

 Maintain awareness of how the quantum revolution may effect agency mission spaces and 

how agencies can nurture the adoption of quantum technologies within the Federal 

Government by cultivating potential end-user application spaces 
National Strategic Overview for Quantum Information Science 

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Providing critical infrastructure 

 Identify critically needed infrastructure and encourage necessary investments by working 

with Government experts and stakeholders, as well as industry and academia. 

 Encourage agencies to provide the QIS research community with increased access to existing 

and future facilities and supporting technologies 

 Establish end-user testbed facilities along with training and engagement, thereby allowing 

Federal agencies and stakeholders to explore applications relevant to their respective 

missions 

 Leverage existing infrastructure, including manufacturing facilities that can be repurposed 

and expanded, to rapidly advance quantum technology development 

Maintaining national security and economic growth 

 Maintain an understanding of the security implications of the changing science and 

technology landscape in QIS 

 Promote mechanisms, such as the SCQIS, for all Government agencies to stay abreast of the 

defense and security implications of QIS technologies and help balance the benefits of 

economic growth with new risks created by the technology 

 Ensure consistent application of existing classification and export control mechanisms to 

provide the largest amount of information possible to American universities and industry 

about actions related to QIS research to encourage economic opportunities, protect 

intellectual property, and defend national-security-relevant applications. 

Advancing international cooperation 

 Seek to increase international cooperation with like-minded industry and Government 

partners 

 Ensure the United States continues to attract and retain the best talent, and has access to 

international technologies, research facilities, and expertise in QIS 

 Identify strengths and focus areas, as well as gaps and opportunities, of international actors to 

better understand the evolving international QIS landscape from both technical and policy 

perspectives. 

Next steps 

Government agencies have been asked to create detailed execution plans in support of these policy 

goals and informed by these policy options. Specifically, 

1. Agencies participating in the SCQIS shall provide written plans for addressing the policy goals 

outlined here by the first quarter of 2019, or a later date as arranged with OSTP and the SCQIS. 

2. Consistent with law, agencies shall convene stakeholders in consultation with OSTP and the SCQIS 

to identify Grand Challenges in specific sub-fields, such as: quantum accurate sensors, quantum 

sensing technology, applications of quantum networks, development of quantum-resistant 

cryptographic standards and systems, commercial possibilities for NISQ quantum devices, 

approaching the high-fidelity limit of qubit operation, and foundational new science from QIS. 

 
National Strategic Overview for Quantum Information Science 

5 

3 Challenges this strategic overview addresses 

The rapid growth of QIS and the expectation that this trajectory will continue over the next decade 

create unique opportunities and challenges for the U.S. research and development enterprise. 

Underscoring the Trump Administration’s commitment to advancing QIS, the NSTC elevated its work 

on the subject and established the SCQIS, which has identified four key challenges that need to be 

addressed with a whole-of-Government response. 

First, improving and facilitating coordination both within the Government and between public and 

private institutions will create a robust domestic ecosystem and provide worldwide leadership in this 

international environment. The Nation already has strong and diverse programs in QIS at the Federalagency level driven by individual mission spaces, as described in the Appendix. Similarly, companies 

have begun making major investments in the field, inspired by the promise of future applications. At 

the same time, foreign countries are making investments and seeking to build their own QIS base in 

competition with the United States. Coordinating U.S. efforts will take advantage of the Government 

and industry activities to maintain and accelerate U.S. leadership in QIS. 

Second, growth within industry, academia, and Government requires maintaining and expanding a 

broad and viable workforce—a quantum-smart workforce—able to enact critical elements of the 

research and development enterprise. Such a workforce will attract and retain key jobs throughout the 

Nation, and enable new industrial and academic efforts that rely upon QIS as a base technology. 

Third, future progress in QIS requires strong cross-community connections between disciplines, from 

physics to computer science to engineering. These interactions already occur through research 

collaborations, but would benefit further from formal interdisciplinary research and training programs 

at earlier levels of education. As growth continues, collaborations and cooperation—between 

disciplines and nations, between industry and academia—must be promoted, even as competitive 

pressures may make this more difficult. 

Fourth, significant uncertainty remains regarding the overall economic and national security impact of 

QIS research and development. With strong industrial engagement now beginning, it is crucial to 

maintain a culture of discovery. The likely best-use commercial cases of quantum devices are unknown 

at this time and must be found through research. Maintaining this focus, despite significant 

countervailing pressures, is necessary. The technologies that are anticipated to result from this 

approach may also play a role in solutions to some of the Nation’s most pressing national security 

concerns, but will require maintaining an understanding of national security implications of QIS. 

In order to maintain and expand American leadership in this critical technology given these challenges, 

we must improve our capacity for cutting edge research and development, expand the QIS-literate 

workforce, and seamlessly coordinate between government, academic, and private sector players. 

4 Choosing a science-first approach to QIS 

Quantum information science—including concepts and technology that support revolutionary 

advances in computing, communications, and metrology—arises from a synthesis of quantum 

mechanics and information theory. It examines uniquely quantum phenomena that can be harnessed 

to advance information processing, transmission, measurement, and fundamental understanding in 

ways that classical approaches can only do much less efficiently, or not at all. Current and future QIS 

applications differ from prior applications of quantum mechanics, such as the laser, transistor and MRI, 
National Strategic Overview for Quantum Information Science 

6 

by using distinct quantum phenomena—superposition and entanglement—that do not have classical 

counterparts. 

Even though its origins can be traced back to the 1960’s, QIS remains a rapidly evolving scientific and 

engineering discipline with substantial further discovery opportunities awaiting. This reflects the 

Government’s long support of basic research and development in this field. Even now, while prototype 

QIS applications, platforms and devices are becoming commercially available, new applications and 

platforms will likely come from protocols and approaches that are not yet invented. Thus, the 

Government should maintain robust and diverse platforms and research thrusts that continue to 

stimulate transformative and fundamental scientific discoveries by taking an approach that puts 

the science first. This will require strengthening core research programs and finding new methods to 

broaden collaboration and participation. 

To capitalize on QIS-inspired technologies and advance the science necessary to realize the associated 

gains, the development and pursuit of scientific and applied Grand Challenges will be the unifying 

strategy. Grand Challenges are those fundamental scientific or technology problems with answers that 

will be transformative for Nation and have broad economic and scientific impact. Potential solutions 

will take sustained investments for at least ten years and require multidisciplinary teams of researchers 

and technologists. Agencies, academia, and industry must work together to identify and prioritize 

Grand Challenges, as well as track their progress and reevaluate these scientific and technological 

opportunities as the research and development progress. 

Solving Grand Challenges and realizing 

the potential of QIS will depend on 

employing effective models of 

coordination and collaboration to tap the 

unique skills and perspectives from 

Federal agencies, industry, and academia, 

and to create and maintain a dialogue 

between quantum-focused researchers 

across disciplines. Towards this end, 

centers and consortia can be a powerful 

means of gathering and maintaining 

research communities that can sustain 

such long-term, curiosity-driven research. 

In addition, the SCQIS’s coordination role 

as well as mechanisms such as 

professional science and engineering 

society participation, coordinated 

Principal Investigator meetings, and 

dissemination of information through 

scientific journals, will help to highlight 

and share quantum scientific advances 

and to grow the quantum research 

community. 

Grand Challenge opportunities

Quantum approaches motivated by Grand Challenges show promise for 

providing new capabilities and tools for sensing and metrology, 

communication, simulation, and computation. This is vital for 

fundamental research and promotes security, health, and the economy. 

For example, quantum sensing holds the promise to provide advanced 

sensors for military mission impact, to develop new measurement 

science and quantum-based standards, to improve navigation and 

timing technologies, and to environmental sensing in novel settings. 

Single-photon detectors may become possible at far infrared and 

microwave wavelengths to expand the range of discovery of the dark 

universe, while non-classical emitters could be integrated for sensing, 

communication, and computing systems at room temperature. 

Today’s noisy intermediate scale quantum (NISQ) technology will offer 

insight into the scientific and technological advances that can address 

QIS Grand Challenges in areas such as machine learning, simulation of 

many-body systems for materials discovery, chemical processes, 

quantum field theory, and dynamics of biological processes. Early 

exploratory efforts in NISQ systems are already yielding new 

understanding of these problems. This can help overcome scientific and 

technological barriers for developing resilient and reliable devices, 

including networking and storage devices, as well as algorithms and 

error correction techniques. 
National Strategic Overview for Quantum Information Science 

7 

5 Creating a quantum-smart workforce for tomorrow 

Growing an American quantum-smart workforce with expertise in a broad range of physical, 

information, and engineering sciences is crucial for assuring sustained progress in QIS. However, 

America’s current educational system typically focuses on discrete disciplinary tracks, rarely 

emphasizing cross-disciplinary study that equips graduates for complex modern questions and 

challenges, prominently including QIS. While the responsibility of training students traditionally resides 

within the academic community, Government agencies and industry can partner with academia to 

meet the nation’s future needs. 

Fundamental research is the main mechanism for generating a qualified workforce in QIS. Within the 

context of the need for individuals with a broad mix of skills, support for the trans-sector and transdisciplinary approach to research is essential. Students trained in such an environment will be exposed 

to a diverse yet convergent set of disciplines, along with the associated tools and infrastructure. This 

will allow students to obtain qualifications and skills required by U.S. industry, national laboratories, 

and academia. Existing approaches of this nature include special research tracks in academic 

programs, early career awards from Government agencies, support for focused research groups, and 

coordinated training with industry. Using and enhancing these programs can increase the size of the 

QIS workforce. Furthermore, approaches that synthesize these programs, such as industrial 

collaborations that engaging with a central, fundamental research program, can prepare students with 

additional skills crucial to entering the workforce in the private sector to further U.S. leadership in 

quantum science and technology. 

Agencies will be encouraged to expand or develop specific programs that foster workforce 

development and build off each other’s strengths and mission. A number of agencies already have 

existing programs, such as the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship 

Program and the Accelerating Discovery Program; the National Defense Science and Engineering 

Graduate Fellowship Program and the Quantum Science and Engineering Program at the Department 

of Defense (DOD); Science Undergraduate Laboratory internships, the Graduate Student Research 

Program, and the Computational Science Graduate Fellowship Program at the Department of Energy 

(DOE); and the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) joint research centers that 

combine Government researchers with university students, postdoctoral scholars, and faculty. These 

programs can be enriched, modified, and expanded when driven by agency need. Further 

improvements may include joining existing efforts of different agencies to increase impact, such as by 

creating joint early-career programs. 

Looking to the longer-term horizon, academic faculty provide the bedrock of training programs. 

Universities should be encouraged to address the workforce development needs by adding tenured or 

tenure-track faculty within the interdisciplinary themes associated with QIS and consider Quantum 

Science and Engineering as a discipline for future concentration, exemplified in steps such as creating 

new departments or thesis tracks. Other avenues include new undergraduate programs, engagement 

with industry and Government for internships and externships—predominantly for U.S. persons—and 

new professional development programs, including encouragement for creation of specialized 

technical programs. These students become ambassadors of their discipline while following a wide 

range of different paths in their careers, increasing the societal impact of quantum-science education. 

Beyond the university, outreach to a broader audience will be essential. A strong comprehensive 

program in K-12 computational and scientific thinking featuring computer science and physics must 

start with developing interest at an early stage. A critical role can be played by industry, professional 
National Strategic Overview for Quantum Information Science 

8 

societies, and agencies with vested 

interest in appropriate outreach, which 

can help provide access to novel 

technologies (for example via cloud-based 

approaches) as well as developing 

classroom-based learning opportunities 

and broader connections to the public 

over various media platforms. At the same 

time, informal education tools, such as 

those found in many museums across the 

Nation, are effective and complementary to the classroom. These overall efforts work best in 

coordination with the NSTC Committee on STEM and its subcommittees that address STEM and related 

education. 

Workforce generation efforts and future U.S. workforce needs of the nascent quantum industry should 

be periodically assessed, through industrial engagement (described in the following section) and work 

with established STEM efforts. This information can help guide future programs to produce the diverse 

workforce needed to support the quantum ecosystem. In order to improve the workforce development 

program over time, an assessment plan of quantum workforce development activities should be 

encouraged to allow participants to select and expand the most successful strategies and adapt, 

change, or terminate what does not work. Collaboration with professional societies and organizations, 

industrial consortia, and local governments are other means of assessing workforce needs. 

6 Deepening engagement with quantum industry 

The revolutionary advances expected to come from QIS have already led to substantial industry 

attention on QIS research and development. Both large companies and a variety of startups and small 

businesses are investing heavily in quantum sensing, networking, computing, and supporting 

technologies. Several have already realized or will soon unveil next-generation quantum sensors, 

entanglement distribution over small networks, and quantum processors in the 50-qubit range, with 

plans to continue on a rapid-growth trajectory. In view of the economic and national security 

importance of QIS the Government will develop means to coordinate with U.S. industry. 

A critical element in a robust quantum ecosystem is a strong base of quantum-essential supporting 

technologies that are not intrinsically quantum in themselves. Current examples include cryogenics, 

photonics, low-noise microwave amplifiers, and nanofabrication. Thus the consortium should work to 

identify and stay abreast of these evolving needs, as well as work in partnership with Government 

agencies and industry to nurture and grow these technologies in cases where they are weak or do not 

yet exist. Existing approaches such as SBIR and STTR programs that promote innovation for small 

businesses can be integrated with or combined with other approaches such as joint research centers. 

In addition, as a key mechanism for industry engagement, the Government should foster the formation 

of a U.S. Quantum Consortium with participants from industry, academia, and Government. Like prior 

consortia such as the Semiconductor Research Corporation, a consortium provides a forum for 

technical exchanges and discussions to establish a mutual understanding of QIS industry’s trajectory, 

opportunities, and critical technical gaps and projected needs (e.g., for workforce, infrastructure, 

standards, and road-mapping). Furthermore, the consortium can also provide a venue for joint publicprivate funding to address infrastructure and technology gaps, and key pre-competitive research and 

Improving academic-industrial pathways 

One program that is expanding connections across sectors is the recently 

developed NSF-funded Quantum Information Science and Engineering 

Network, https://qisenet.uchicago.edu/, also known as “TRIPLETS.” This 

effort promotes small research projects executed by American graduate 

students over a course of 3 years in close collaboration with an academic 

principal investigator and an industrial partner, including extended stays 

at an industrial laboratory or utilizing infrastructure. This enables a direct 

and smooth transition to an industrial environment upon the TRIPLETS 

project completion. 
National Strategic Overview for Quantum Information Science 

9 

development. Additional input can be provided by advisory bodies as appropriate, such as the 

President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, as well as coordination with other NSTC 

subcommittees. 

Finally, joint research centers— partnerships between industry, academia, and Government—can 

accelerate pre-competitive QIS research and development, and in the process help address both the 

looming need for a greatly expanded and diverse quantum workforce and scientific and applied Grand 

Challenges. These centers can also facilitate and improve technology transfer from Government 

research labs. More generally, mechanisms such as incubators for translation from the lab to small 

companies should be expanded, and roadblocks removed where possible. For a meaningful 

collaboration environment to exist, intellectual property concerns will also need to be addressed and 

methods for realizing the development technology emphasized where possible. 

7 Providing critical infrastructure 

The successful development of technologies based on QIS will enable increasingly more advanced 

quantum research, but hinges on the availability of suitable tools, facilities, and other infrastructure 

items. The QIS research and development enterprise is not yet large enough to sustain an industry 

focused on developing and supplying all the necessary infrastructure. A targeted expansion of the 

relevant Federal and industrial infrastructure and support activities is needed to accelerate progress 

and prepare Federal agencies and industry to adopt the ensuing quantum technologies. 

The U.S. Government can play a critical role in fostering this field by encouraging programs that target 

the development and fielding of supporting technologies, ranging from component technologies all the 

way to sophisticated fabrication and characterization technologies. Agencies will be encouraged to 

explore mechanisms to provide the QIS research community with increased access to existing and 

future Federal facilities, including manufacturing facilities that can be repurposed and expanded as 

well as systems and testbeds for post-quantum applications. As some of these infrastructure 

Government

Quantum 

Industry Academia

Joint centers:

• Workforce

• Incubation &

translation

• New 

applications

U.S. Quantum 

Consortium:

• Pre-competitive

• Needs assessment

• Cooperative R&D

End-users:

• Consumers 

• Industry

• Government
National Strategic Overview for Quantum Information Science 

10 

capabilities include large user facilities, 

the Government will consider 

enhancements to existing Federal 

facilities and whether Federally-funded 

QIS research centers should play a role in 

providing infrastructure or testbeds. 

Together, these actions will accelerate 

progress in QIS research and help solidify 

U.S. leadership in this field. 

Current needs include: classical hardware 

components, materials characterization 

and fabrication facilities, critical minerals 

and materials, and a variety of end-user 

tools, platforms, and testbeds. The 

Government will engage with experts and 

stakeholders, as well as industry and 

academia, to identify critical 

infrastructure and map the current 

infrastructure landscape. For example, the 

U.S. Quantum Consortium can help 

determine which of the component 

technologies will have a sufficient 

economic base to encourage industrial 

development, can help develop industry 

engagement with post-quantum 

applications, and can also periodically track progress and tap external expertise to evaluate the 

effectiveness of investments being made. In accordance with evolving needs, these efforts should be 

on-going. 

In addition to bolstering infrastructure, it is important to nurture the adoption of quantum technologies 

within the Federal Government by cultivating potential end-user agencies. A culture of information 

sharing has sprung up organically among the personnel at the Federal agencies funding QIS and those 

looking to leverage future applications. The Government will encourage this culture, and the interagency process will provide a sounding board for promulgating such shared interest and promoting the 

leveraging of Federal investments in advancing each agency’s mission. Furthermore, it will explore 

methods to spur engagement from those end-user agencies that have not yet played a role in 

developing the technology, but could benefit from the output of this research. Indeed, the impact of 

QIS will be felt broadly, and it will be important for each agency to be aware of how the quantum 

revolution may augment its mission space. The establishment of end-user testbed facilities along with 

training and engagement will allow Federal agencies and stakeholders to explore relevant applications. 

Enabling the next generation of quantum science 

Quantum states are extraordinarily fragile, and successfully using them 

for applications will require an unprecedented level of control and 

sophistication. For this reason, QIS will require new classes of highperformance classical components and instrumentation capable of 

realizing these exacting requirements. These components will cover a 

broad range of technologies and systems, from ultra-cold cooling 

systems, to precision electronic and optical systems, and even rather 

basic components like cables appropriate for carrying quantum signals. 

The lack of suitable and reliable classical components and equipment is 

one of the biggest hurdles to surmount in attempting to realize useful QIS 

devices. 

In addition, progress in certain areas of QIS is already limited by the 

unavailability of specialized materials and advanced technologies for 

materials characterization. For example, unknown dynamics on the 

metal surfaces of ion traps limit the performance of ion-based qubits. 

Recently, U.S. researchers made use of a Rapid Access Proposal to Oak 

Ridge’s Center for Nanophase Materials Science to access a series of 

sophisticated tools for surface characterization to better understand 

these defects. 

Quantum devices also require sophisticated fabrication capabilities. For 

instance, over the past decade, access to the Microsystems and 

Engineering Sciences Application (MESA) fabrication facility has allowed 

Sandia National Laboratories to develop and mature ion trap devices to 

a level where they now serve as the base component across numerous 

academic and industry labs, and enable exploration of quantum 

computing, quantum sensing, and other related technologies. 
National Strategic Overview for Quantum Information Science 

11 

8 Maintaining national security and economic growth 

National security needs often drive the advancement of new science and technology and enable 

economic development through enhanced Government investments, dedicated initiatives, and crossagency collaborations. At the same time, creating new markets and industries enhance our ability to 

address national security needs, but the scientific and economic advances can lead to new risks. An 

appropriate balance between growth and risk can provide long-term benefits. 

The technologies that are anticipated to result from intensified research and development in QIS may 

provide solutions to some of the nation’s most pressing national security concerns. For example, 

advancements in quantum computing may allow for improvements in effective drug discovery, 

modeling of chemical reactions to enhance corrosion-resistant materials, and optimizing logistics 

solutions. These and other opportunities in networking and sensing can play a positive role in ensuring 

national security and defense. 

However, there may be challenges to public safety and security that arise from these same 

technologies. For example, one key quantum algorithm will be able to break public-key cryptography, 

which secures transactions over the internet. While employing this algorithm is far beyond the current 

level of technology, the need to protect sensitive data and provide a reliable infrastructure over the 

long-term requires moving to “post-quantum” or “quantum-resistant” forms of cryptography. 

QIS technologies being developed for military and defense applications can also accelerate 

advancements in the field, leading to substantial economic growth potential through the creation of 

new industries and products and their transition to consumer markets. The defense and intelligence 

communities have been strong investors in QIS research and development over the last twenty years, 

and continue to work across the basic science and applied technology areas to improve the 

understanding of what is possible with QIS and support the necessary technological base. Enhanced 

industrial engagement and infrastructure improvements described in the previous sections will also 
National Strategic Overview for Quantum Information Science 

12 

enhance national security and provide economic growth by fostering QIS within the United States 

rather than leaving innovators to seek support elsewhere. 

As the technology evolves, its potential 

impact on military applications will mean 

that continual monitoring of export and 

trade regulations, including the Wassenaar 

Arrangement control lists and their 

domestic implementation in the Export 

Administration Regulations (EAR) and 

International Traffic in Arms Regulation 

(ITAR), will be necessary. Furthermore, the 

defense community has special needs for 

diverse workforce development; pathways 

should be added from programs that build 

a quantum-smart workforce into defenserelated research and development. Finally, 

it is imperative that while developing the 

QIS enterprise in the United States, the 

Government also protects intellectual 

property and economic interests, seeks to 

understand dual-use capabilities, and 

supports national-security-relevant 

applications that emerge from QIS 

research at every level from basic research 

to commercialization of QIS technologies. 

Thus the SCQIS will, in conjunction with 

other NSTC subcommittees, Federal agencies, and the defense and intelligence communities, ensure 

consistent application of existing classification and export control mechanisms to provide the largest 

amount of information possible to American universities and industry about actions related to QIS 

research. 

9 Advancing international cooperation 

Science, technology, and innovation are cornerstones of U.S. prosperity and economic development 

and also dominant forces internationally, particularly given the highly interconnected world of the 21st 

century, where businesses operate globally and scientists and engineers collaborate across borders. 

Considering the global nature of scientific and industrial enterprises, the United States, including the 

private sector, has cooperated with foreign partners in QIS research for more than twenty years. These 

partnerships have accelerated scientific discovery and technological applications while promoting U.S. 

economic growth and national security. 

In order to maintain U.S. leadership and competitiveness in QIS, the United States must work with 

international partners, even while advancing domestic investments and research strategies. As 

discoveries accelerate in all sectors, the United States should seek to increase international 

cooperation with like-minded governments and industrial partners to ensure that technologies 

resulting from today’s investments in basic research and technological development continue to 

Improving defense through quantum technologies

Advanced computing capabilities have long been used to enhance both 

military capability and economic productivity. As such, general purpose 

quantum algorithms for optimization, machine learning, materials 

development, and chemical calculations should continue to be explored; 

although their quantum speed-up is still unknown, any improvements in 

direct computational ability or in resulting materials and systems could 

greatly impact military effectiveness. 

Beyond computation, new or quantum-enhanced systems could enable 

the next-generation of sensors and detectors for defense applications. As 

an example, precision relies on the deep understanding of the quantum 

properties of atoms; further development can impact both nextgeneration Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and scenarios where GPS is 

unavailable. There are further synergies in defense requirements for low 

size, weight, and power devices via new modalities of sensing. 

Exploration of quantum networking also has potential defense value, 

and could offer added functionality to quantum computation and 

quantum sensing. Robust solutions to distributing entanglement over 

multiple length scales—from across a chip to across the world—could 

enable distributed quantum computers and distributed sensors, with the 

potential for long-term impact in secure communication. Understanding 

how quantum effects impact communication, from bandwidth and 

latency, to security, to novel networking technologies and algorithms, 

will help realize the best networking systems. 
National Strategic Overview for Quantum Information Science 

13 

benefit Americans. Sustained domestic investments and strategic international collaboration and 

cooperation will be vital to this goal. 

The Government will focus on three strategic international efforts for QIS. The first effort will be regular 

reviews of international collaboration activities and partnerships, to identify and track worldwide QIS 

science and technology trends and identify gaps and opportunities, understand the evolving 

international QIS landscape, and inform existing programs. Second, the Government will identify and 

prioritize strategic bilateral partnerships to ensure that the United States continues to attract and 

retain the best international and has access to international technologies, research facilities, and 

experts in QIS. Third, the Government should encourage merit-based and transparent fundamental 

research and innovation systems, and open access to public data arising from QIS research, as 

appropriate, as well as to advance the development of international standards that enable adoption of 

new QIS-inspired technologies. 

 
National Strategic Overview for Quantum Information Science 

14 

Appendix: Current U.S. leadership in QIS research areas 

The United States sustains a vibrant community in QIS. World-leading research groups in the Nation’s 

universities, companies, and national labs have driven progress in many of the critical areas of quantum 

computing and quantum systems for time-keeping, sensing, networking, and other applications. This 

status as a leader in quantum research and development is a direct result of the U.S. Government 

funding agencies and institutions sustained investment in basic and applied research. Both broad and 

focused programs, built atop a foundation of well-staffed and well-equipped research institutions, have 

created a talented workforce, encouraged broad innovation and exploration, and dedicated the 

necessary hard work in physics, materials science, and associated areas necessary to make progress in 

the development of working, controllable quantum systems. Throughout this effort, the United States 

has benefited from a many-headed funding model where, for example, one Agency continues to fund 

critical topics as another changes focus. Furthermore, combining funding driven by mission needs to 

ensure long-term development with science-driven funding to create the new ideas that seed further 

innovation provides additional resiliency. 

Progress in QIS has recently begun a significant expansion from increases in private sector research and 

development. Over the last five years, particularly in quantum computing, large IT companies and the 

venture capital and start-up community have engaged with new QIS opportunities and formed groups 

and companies to pursue commercialization. It should be noted that all this is possible because of the 

wealth and know-how that these companies and communities gained from the previous computing 

and internet revolutions they helped create. The national strategic approach should continue to 

leverage these strengths of both the U.S. Government funding system and the U.S. innovation 

ecosystem. 

Finally, significant contributions to QIS research have been made in other countries. The field has 

advanced in the United States in some part by recruiting, collaborating, and competing with science 

around the world. As a case in point, the first two-qubit gate proposal came from researchers in Europe, 

but was demonstrated in the Nobel-prize winning group of David Wineland at NIST. This reflects the 

increasingly global character of the science and technology enterprise. In a field where scientists are 

still very much fighting nature itself to make progress, humanity’s combined effort may be necessary to 

tackle the challenge. U.S. leadership at this juncture will provide the key ingredients for this success. 

QIS comprises fundamental science and technology across many platforms and topics, and touches 

upon many agencies. This includes the Department of Agriculture (USDA), Department of Defense 

(DOD), Department of Energy (DOE), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of the Interior 

(DOI), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Department of State (State), National Aeronautics and 

Space Administration (NASA), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), National Science 

Foundation (NSF), National Security Agency (NSA), Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), 

Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). 

The SCQIS assesses the national portfolio using seven broad categories: four in fundamental science 

(S1-S4) and three in technological development (T1-T3). 

S1. Quantum sensing: leveraging quantum mechanics to enhance the fundamental accuracy of 

measurements and/or enabling new regimes or modalities for sensors and measurement 

science [DOD, DOE, DHS, DOI, NIST, NSF, ODNI] 
National Strategic Overview for Quantum Information Science 

15 

S2. Quantum computing: from devices and algorithms for analog simulation of quantum systems 

in the laboratory to controlled digital quantum computers [DOD, DOE, NASA, NIST, NSF, 

NSA, ODNI] 

S3. Quantum networking: exploring and using coherent or entangled multi-party quantum states, 

distributed at distances, for new information technology applications and fundamental 

science [DOD, NASA, NIST, NSF] 

S4. Scientific advances enabled by quantum devices and theory advances: improved 

understanding of materials, chemistry, cosmology, classical computation techniques, and 

other aspects of fundamental science [DOE, NIST, NSF] 

T1. Supporting technology: necessary analog, digital, electrical, mechanical, optical, 

computational, and cryogenic systems and techniques that underpin the fundamental science 

areas [DOD, NASA, NIST, NSF, NSA, ODNI] 

T2. Future applications: opportunities for improvements in operations research, optimization, 

machine learning, drug discovery, etc. [all SCQIS agencies engaged] 

T3. Risk mitigation: necessary infrastructure and support for quantum technologies and their 

impact, such as quantum-resistant cryptosystems and other post-quantum applications 

[DHS, NIST, NSA] 

The Nation’s efforts in these areas include a number of agencies that have over the years driven 

research and development in these seven categories. Current Federal agencies conducting or funding 

these topic areas are identified above. These seven areas represent the broad foundation necessary to 

support a full industrial and Governmental effort in quantum information science and technology. The 

SCQIS also has examined current funding, and finds at the present time that it is primarily focused on 

S1-S4, as shown in the graph below. 

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

U.S. Government research spending by area

Sensing Computing Networking Quantum-enabled science T1-T3