The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced $625 million in funding to boost U.S. capabilities in quantum information science and produce breakthroughs in quantum communications, computing, sensors, and materials.

This investment is crucial, notes a DOE press release, as quantum information science stands at the brink of a technological revolution, promising significant advancements in science and technology.

In particular, the DOE has announced $71 million in funding for 25 projects that will use quantum information science to explore the universe's secrets.

The DOE wants to use quantum technologies to tackle big questions in physics. Scientists will work on theories about gravity and spacetime, which are about how matter and energy interact. They'll also develop quantum sensors, devices that can detect very faint signals, to find new signs of dark matter or other unknown particles.

Quantum information science leverages quantum mechanics to manipulate and process information in ways classical physics cannot, opening new avenues for exploring the foundations of physics. Conversely, insights from fundamental physics, like quantum entanglement and superposition, directly inform the development of quantum technologies. This synergy is evident in areas like quantum computing. Quantum information science also provides tools like quantum sensors.

Quantum information science opens new paths for understanding the cosmos

Regina Rameika, who leads high energy physics at DOE, said quantum science opens new paths for understanding the cosmos. The projects aim to push forward the next wave of scientific discovery using quantum computers, simulators, and sensors.

The projects include using quantum devices to study spacetime and analyze data from particle colliders. They will also use quantum tech like superconducting qubits, which are basic units of quantum information, atomic sensors, and light in quantum states to make experiments more sensitive.

These efforts will help create new experimental setups where scientists can control quantum states or use entanglement, where particles instantly affect each other regardless of distance, to watch tiny physical events like radioactive decay or measure gravity between very small masses.

You can learn more about these projects on the DOE's High Energy Physics website.