DOE OSTI2017
For decades, scientists have known that devices to store and manipulate information in quantum physical systems such as atoms or photons would provide radical new capabilities in computing, communication, and sensing. These novel capabilities include speed-ups in scientific calculations of quantum materials and chemical systems, enhanced resolution in imaging and detection systems, and greater security for encrypted communication systems. Building these devices requires a detailed understanding of how quantum materials behave, accurate knowledge of how to integrate them, and high-fidelity control of the physical qubits that store information. These goals are fundamental research challenges for materials synthesis, fabrication, and characterization; and the science of quantum information intersects heavily with ongoing basic research into materials science, chemistry, and quantum physics. These systems represent state-of-the-art approaches to building and controlling the basic physical elements of quantum information. Research into quantum sensing and quantum communication strongly leverages these advances for next-generation technologies, e.g., measurements beyond the Heisenberg limit, while applications of quantum computing (QC) as a platform for understanding future quantum material systems highlight its potential for advanced scientific discovery. This factual status document for Quantum Information Science has been developed for the Department of Energy Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences (BES). The following are several seminal or key references for interested readers; the reference section gives a more exhaustive, but still not complete, list of important papers in this area.