Quantum computing technologies in Wisconsin are leading to improved mining and biotech sensors, the ability to crack encrypted systems and promising job growth prospects.
“We are making breakthroughs in these technologies in Wisconsin … many of those have led to commercialization,” Wisconsin Technology Council President Maggie Brickerman said yesterday. “So the goal of this, of course, is to impact the world, and one way to do that is getting technologies out of the labs and into companies.”
She spoke during Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce’s American Economic Interest Summit, held yesterday in Brookfield. The Tech Council is officially launching the Wisconsin Quantum Alliance on June 10, in an effort to marshall resources and expertise around this topic.
Yesterday’s event featured insights from UW-Madison researchers exploring quantum computing, which involves using the fundamental properties of incredibly small particles such as an electron or atom to perform advanced calculations.
One key difference from classical computing is that quantum computing uses base units called qubits, which can exist in multiple states simultaneously. While traditional computing bits can exist as either 0 or 1, a qubit — or quantum bit — can be either or both at the same time.
This “magical” property enables quantum computing to operate in ways that classical computers can’t, UW-Madison Prof. Matthew Otten explained yesterday. That includes breaking certain forms of encryption that ordinary computers “have no hope” of getting through, he said.
“So a quantum computer … could decrypt things from my personal bank records, which perhaps nobody cares about, but also nuclear launch codes,” Otten said.
Along with those defense considerations, the technology also presents broader opportunities for developing anti-corrosive coatings, he said, noting a quantum computer can model and simulate the process of corrosion much more effectively than traditional computers. Breakthroughs in this area could extend the useful lifetime of infrastructure, vehicles and much more, potentially saving billions of dollars per year.
At the same time, quantum computers could unlock discoveries in chemistry to more efficiently produce fertilizers, produce renewable fuels and more, Otten noted.
Prof. Jennifer Choy, who researches quantum sensing in the university’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, explained atomic particles’ sensitivity to their environment enable precise measurements of magnetic fields and gravity.
This capability has wide-ranging applications, she explained, as quantum sensors could offer alternative options for navigation, remote sensing underground for mining, precision agriculture and even measuring changes at the neuron level within the brain without an invasive procedure.
“Because quantum sensors are based on very, very small sensing objects … we can actually now begin to study biological processes on the atomic level,” she said.
Choy is the founding scientific advisor for Dirac Labs, a spin-off company from UW-Madison that’s developing quantum sensors for navigation purposes.
Brickerman referenced growing entrepreneurial activity around quantum computing in the state, pointing to “an inflection point” for the technology as federal dollars are being funneled into this field. She said it’s currently flowing to states like Illinois, Maryland and Colorado, but added Wisconsin has “all of these components” needed to compete for the opportunity presented by quantum computing.
Meanwhile, studies show the Midwest could have 200,000 new jobs linked to the “quantum economy” by 2035, Brickerman noted.
“What is the overlap between this technology area and other emerging technology areas, so we think about AI, we think about the fusion opportunity that Wisconsin has … where do the Venn diagrams overlap so that we can make sure that we’re not missing this opportunity?” she said.
