Interdisciplinary Forum: Quantum Information Science

Though the disruptive potential of QIS has been known for over 20 years, it has been in a nascent state with a number of academic, industrial and government groups striving to understand the basics physics and to build and control many-qubit systems.

However there has been steady progress to a tipping point where the realization of practical QIS systems is imminent [1,2]; for example the leading group in the field (Google Quantum AI) recently argued that small-scale commercialization of quantum computing devices is expected within 5 years [1]; moreover quantum chemistry may be a “killer app” for small quantum computing systems [3]; and prototype demonstrations are already emerging [4]. IBM is providing a 20 QUBIT system for public use, and they expect to deliver a 50 QUBIT system in the near future [2].

Strategic partnerships are developing between universities, large corporations, startups, as well as federal and private funding agencies. Some of the major industrial and government investors are Google [1]; IBM [2]; Microsoft [5]; DoD [6]; IARPA [7]; the NSF has a QIS program and several initiatives; including Quantum Leap and IDEAS: PFCQC [8]; and the DOE is investing [9]. For some time the NSA has been concerned about the potential of quantum computing to crack often used encryption systems, and they now consider these encryption systems to be vulnerable to QIS in the near future [10]. Disruptive quantum technologies based on emerging QIS systems are expected to be widespread and are not fully explored; but will include precision sensing; complex simulations; quantum computing; secure information transmission and new encryption systems.

Three critical QIS basic research themes are:
(i) Experimental realization of architectures for QIS, and in particular quantum computing
(ii) Theoretical studies of the underlying physics of these architectures, in particular noise, control of interactions, entanglement, and coherence lifetimes
(iii) Algorithms; including error correction strategies; and design of algorithms to take advantage of analog and digital quantum computing systems for a variety of applications

The purpose of this event is to bring together interested parties to network and discuss areas where MSU can develop national and international leadership in this vital discipline.

· Philip Duxbury, Chair, Department of Physics and Astronomy

· Norman Birge, Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy

· Mark Dykman, Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy

· Johannes Pollanen, Jerry Cowan Chair of Experimental Physics and Assistant Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy

· Leo Kempel, Dean, College of Engineering

· Daniel Segalman, Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering

· John Verboncoeur, Associate Dean for Research, College of Engineering

· Angela Wilson, John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor, Department of Chemistry

· Morten Hjorth-Jensen, Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy

· Dean Lee, Professor, Departments of Physics and Astronomy

· Matthew J. Hirn, Assistant Professor, Department of Computational Mathematics, Science and Engineering

· Jeffrey Schenker, Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Mathematics

· Federi Viens, Chair, Department of Statistics and Probability, and Interim Director of Actuarial Science

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These events are Co-Sponsored by the MSU Center for Interdisciplinarity... The MSU Center for Interdisciplinarity (C4I), located in the College of Arts & Letters, is an academic center of excellence for interdisciplinary activity. C4I works to maximize college and university strengths in interdisciplinary research and teaching and serve as a hub for interdisciplinary activity on campus.