Basic Quantum Research Will Transform Science and Industry

The promise of quantum computing seems limitless—faster internet searching, lightning-quick financial data analysis, shorter commutes, better weather prediction, more effective cancer drugs, revolutionary new materials, and more. But we’re not there yet. Focusing on narrow benchmarks, such as how many quantum bits, or qubits, the latest computers have (not many), creates a myopic snapshot of a vast technical landscape. The goal goes beyond faster computers to encompass innovations spread broadly across quantum information science, materials, and technologies, such as quantum sensors—a wide field indeed.