The notion of a quantum computer that can decipher the most sophisticated encryption protecting our personal and national secrets has long been the subject of both excitement and existential dread. Recently, this concept inched closer to reality as Australia committed a staggering $620 million to Silicon Valley startup PsiQuantum, aiming to construct the world’s pioneering utility-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computer.
In a groundbreaking move, the Australian government is shifting gears from purely academic quantum research to tangibly building a large-scale quantum computer. PsiQuantum, armed with this contract, plans to establish a facility in Brisbane that could conceivably change the playing field in data security and computational power by 2027. This collaboration with the Australian government is a rare phenomenon where a single private company receives such significant backing to realize an ambitious technological leap.
Pete Shadbolt, PsiQuantum’s chief scientific officer, encapsulates the essence of this venture, “Lots of people have small quantum computers… But the general consensus of the field is that if we’re going to reap the science-fiction-like rewards of a quantum computer, we need a really big one.” The goal is clear: to transcend the limitations of small-scale, benchtop quantum experiments and venture into building a facility with the muscle to tackle calculations that would cripple today’s computers.
This project, however, is not merely a quest for computational horsepower. Lawrence Gasman, president of Inside Quantum Technology, illustrates the urgency of solving one of quantum computing’s most critical challenges: error correction in qubits. “Qubits are sad, pathetic little things, and they don’t last long in any physical manifestation. So you need a lot of control,” Gasman explains.
But the implications of quantum computing transcend scientific achievement. From a military perspective, the U.S. has been proactively preparing for the quantum era, with agencies like the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) funding utility-scale quantum computing initiatives. PsiQuantum and Microsoft are among the participants in this quest to secure a competitive advantage in a technology that has the potential to disrupt modern warfare and global power dynamics.
Indeed, the geopolitical stakes couldn’t be higher. Denis Mandich, CTO of Qrypt and former CIA operative, warns of the seismic shift that a small quantum computer could bring: “All of the computers and all the brainpower that has ever existed are nothing compared to a very small quantum computer with just a couple of 100 logical qubits.”
In the realm of digital security, the onset of quantum computing could spell disaster. Mandich starkly lays out the doomsday scenario where every encrypted message sent via current digital platforms could be cracked open by a competent quantum computer. This technological breakthrough would not only expose national secrets but also grant an unassailable market advantage.
“Every message you’ve ever sent with WhatsApp or whatever is secured by just one or two algorithms…a quantum computer can break all of them, and that breaks everywhere, all at once in the entire world for every digital application,” Mandich said.
To compound the urgency, the U.S. Department of Defense’s budget documents highlight an impending “tipping point” for quantum technology, emphasizing the need for rapidly maturing and demonstrating the tech. The U.S. also intends to transition to quantum-resistant cryptography by 2035, highlighting the inevitability of this technological arms race. However, with PsiQuantum set to build a quantum computer by 2027, Mandich poses a chilling question, “There’s no chance that we’ll be ready.”
Relevant articles:
– Will Australia’s giant quantum project bring militaries’ fears to life?, Defense One
– Quantum is coming — and bringing new cybersecurity threats with it, KPMG
– The state of Australia’s defence: a quick guide, Parliament of Australia