Deutsch Writes Perspective on “Harnessing the Power of the Second Quantum Revolution”

(PRX.Quantum) Perspectives, a new peer-reviewed article type from the Physical Review journals, are forward-looking, visionary pieces aimed at a broad audience and intended to showcase the potential impact of future developments in a research area.
The first Perspective is from Ivan Deutsch from the University of New Mexico who ponders how the drive to understand quantum fundamentals has led to the foundations of significant new technology, as well as the mysteries that remain and demand further curiosity, investigation, and investment.
Deutsch explains, “The quest for new knowledge and understanding drove the development of new experimental tools and rigorous theory, which defined the road map for second-wave quantum technologies, including quantum computers, quantum-enhanced sensors, and communication systems. As technology has matured, the race to develop and commercialize near-term applications has accelerated. In the current regime of Noisy Intermediate Scale Quantum (NISQ) devices [J. Preskill, Quantum 2, 79 (2018)], the continued necessity of basic research is manifest.”
With the field of quantum information and technology evolving so rapidly, researchers need to communicate and collaborate across boundaries in order to stay informed and ultimately achieve the goal of usable quantum technologies. Perspectives will serve this need by providing a way to broadly share viewpoints about upcoming challenges, and inspiring the types of collaborations that will be needed to address them.
This Perspective is expected to be of great interest to the diverse, multidisciplinary quantum information science and technology community, as the acceleration of the “second quantum revolution” is palpable with rapid growth in academia, government, and industry, and continues to bridge traditional disciplines such as physics, engineering, computer science, chemistry, materials science, and more.