NQVL:QSTD:Pilot: Deep Learning on Programmable Quantum Computers (DLPQC)

A central challenge of our time is demonstrating a practical quantum advantage for problems relevant to science and engineering. To address this challenge, the team envisions building an advanced quantum computing laboratory that enables external users to propose and demonstrate quantum information science and engineering (QISE) advances that map these problems to many-body quantum states in neutral atoms.

By building a robust infrastructure to create and fault-tolerantly measure quantum many-body states, quantum advantage may be realized across problems in chemistry, materials, and physics, discovering fundamental truths inaccessible with existing classical techniques. The program will simultaneously advance critical hardware, software, and architecture for general-purpose quantum computing as well as other quantum technologies including quantum networks and sensing.

This project will make significant advances in atomic physics, quantum error correction, and quantum compilation to meet the requirements of the logical quantum processing unit (LQU) and the analog quantum simulator (AQU), which represent capabilities far beyond the state-of-the-art for any quantum science platform. The project will also develop next-generation integrated electronics and photonics to control large-scale quantum systems at high speeds.

These technologies will benefit all quantum science platforms as well as applications limited by today’s optical devices, such as LiDAR and optical networking.

Our approach capitalizes on recent breakthroughs in programmable quantum simulators and neutral atom computing to develop an open quantum testbed. This consists of an error-corrected digital quantum processing unit (LQU) with over 100 fault-tolerant logical qubits connected to an analog quantum simulator (AQU) comprising over 1000 physical qubits, and teleportation-based interfaces for loading arbitrary quantum states into the AQU from external devices.

By making the quantum computer broadly accessible, the project will enable many research teams to test their algorithms and hardware, overcoming existing barriers to developing or acquiring cutting-edge quantum technology: large capital, labor investments and domain expertise in multiple fields. This NQVL quantum science and technology demonstrator project (QSTD) will democratize access and enable a greater than 10-fold increase in quantum builders and users by 2030 through hardware models ("digital twins"), open-source software, end-to-end system engineering, shared facilities for validation and benchmarking, and community engagement.

This interdisciplinary initiative will advance multiple academic fields, enable new hardware innovations and practical quantum advantages through modular software and architecture prototypes. Key beneficiaries are quantum hardware and software developers who will gain access to a centralized infrastructure for component testing and executing quantum algorithms.

This project advances the objectives of Quantum Information Science and Engineering at NSF in response to the National Quantum Initiative Act for the continued leadership of the United States in QIS and its technology applications.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.