2020 - Quantum Computing

Eventually, we will connect all 17 DOE National Labs as the backbone of the Quantum Internet. We'll also add in universities and private sector partners, working with a broad community of individuals and institutions with diverse and complementary skill sets. Together, we'll create something truly groundbreaking that will transform our lives.

 We now have the Blueprint to make this Quantum Internet a reality, and I am elated to share our plan with you all today.

The Blueprint lays out four priority research opportunities to make this happen:

1. Providing the foundational building blocks for Quantum Internet;
2. Integrating Quantum networking devices;
3. Creating repeating, switching, and routing technologies for Quantum entanglement;
4. Enabling error correction of Quantum networking functions.

As part of DOE's effort, Argonne and Fermi National Labs will continue to play a critical part in our effort to develop this Quantum Internet and realize its many benefits.

Today, many scientific experts recognize that building and scaling quantum-protected and enhanced communication networks are among the most important technological frontiers of the 21st century. The international research community perceives the construction of a first prototype global quantum network—the Quantum Internet—to be within reach over the next decade. In February 2020, the U.S Department of Energy (DOE)'s Office of Advanced Scientific Computing Research hosted the Quantum Internet Blueprint workshop to define a potential roadmap toward building the first nationwide quantum Internet. The workshop participants included representatives from DOE national laboratories, universities, industry, and other U.S. agencies with serious interests in quantum networking. The goal was to provide an outline of the essential research needed, detail any engineering and design barriers, and suggest a path forward to move from today's limited local network experiments to a viable, secure quantum Internet.