National Quantum Initiative in the United States National Quantum Initiative

2020: The start of the development of quantum Internet in the United States

At the end of July 2020, the US Department of Energy presented a strategy for developing a national quantum Internet that cannot be hacked. The authorities collaborate with universities and industry researchers and promise to create a solution within ten years.

The national laboratories of the Ministry of Energy will become the basis of the future quantum Internet, which will ensure the safe transfer of information. A new network could speed up the exchange of vast amounts of data, according to research. Scientists believe that if the components can be combined and scaled, society could be on the verge of another technological explosion regarding data exchange.

Even in the early stages of its development, this network can have a profound impact on areas important to science, industry and national security. The department said that the first users of the quantum Internet will be the banking and medical care sectors. In addition, applications for national security and aviation communications will be created.

The United States has begun to develop a quantum Internet

The first steps to create a new network are already underway in Chicago, which has become one of the world's leading centers for quantum research. In February 2020, scientists from Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Chicago created an 83-kilometer "quantum loop" in the suburbs of Chicago, thus creating one of the longest terrestrial quantum networks in the country. This network will be connected to the Fermilab laboratory and thereby create a three-node test site with a length of 130 km.

It is reported that an amount of $1.275 billion will be allocated for the National Quantum Initiative, a federal program to accelerate quantum research and development. This strategy is aimed at ensuring that the United States gains an advantage over China in the quantum arms race.^[1]

Notes