Report of the U.S. Quantum Leadership Committee ()

Key Chapter Title List

1. Executive Summary
2. Recommendation Summary
3. Quantum Technology: The Next Frontier of Science and Technology
4. Analysis of Quantum Technology
5. Quantum Leadership and the Current State of the United States
6. Composition of the Quantum Industrial Base
7. Historical Precedents of High-Performance Computing
8. China and Quantum Competition
9. Next Steps
10. Recommendations for the National Security Domain
11. Recommendations for the Research Domain
12. Recommendations for Talent Development

Document Introduction

Quantum technology, as a new frontier of innovation, is crucial for the United States to maintain global leadership. Faced with continuous investment and competitive pressure from countries like China in the quantum field, the CSIS Quantum Leadership Committee spent over a year integrating insights from top experts in U.S. quantum science and industry through diverse formats such as seminars, workshops, and consultations to produce this comprehensive strategic report. The report focuses on how to consolidate and expand U.S. leadership in quantum technology by strengthening R&D investment, solidifying the quantum industrial base, accelerating commercialization, cultivating a professional workforce, and building international partnerships.

Leveraging the principles of quantum mechanics, quantum technology demonstrates revolutionary potential in fields such as computing, communication, and sensing. It not only has profound implications for national economic competitiveness but also serves as a critical pillar for national security. Currently, most quantum technologies are in their early developmental stages and have not yet achieved the immediate application value seen in artificial intelligence or semiconductors. However, early investment will establish a crucial advantage for the future—historical experience shows that falling behind in technological competition is costly and carries significant risks. The report reveals the strategic significance of quantum technology through three core cases: quantum navigation can address the critical vulnerability of Global Positioning System (GPS) to interference, providing anti-jamming solutions for military and civilian navigation; Quantum-as-a-Service (QaaS) lowers the barrier to using quantum computing through a cloud-based model, becoming a core path for near-term commercialization; post-quantum cryptography directly confronts the threat quantum computers pose to existing encryption systems, ensuring future communication security.

The U.S. quantum industry ecosystem has begun to take shape, encompassing over 150 companies across computing, software, communication, sensing, and other fields, and boasts world-leading academic institutions, national laboratories, and an innovation ecosystem. However, compared to the over $200 billion in private investment in artificial intelligence, quantum technology received only about $8 billion in private investment between 2019 and 2023. Market forces alone are insufficient to sustain U.S. quantum leadership. The report emphasizes that the federal government must learn from the development experience of High-Performance Computing (HPC), using sustained and stable public investment to address market failures while building a quantum industrial base comprising six core elements: research, talent, materials, manufacturing, software, and testing.

In response to China's rapid development in areas like quantum communication and the quantum strategic deployments of numerous countries worldwide, the report proposes systematic policy recommendations: Congress should double quantum R&D funding for agencies such as the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Department of Energy (DOE); establish a dedicated quantum sensing program focusing on positioning, navigation, and timing technologies; accelerate the application and compliance of post-quantum cryptography standards; build a secure supply chain for critical quantum materials; enhance coordination with allies on export controls and technological cooperation; and cultivate and attract global quantum talent through education system reforms and visa policy optimization. These recommendations aim to fully leverage the United States' unique advantages in technological innovation and industry-academia-research collaboration, avoiding a passive catch-up scenario akin to a "Sputnik moment," and ensuring the United States' long-term leadership in this critical strategic field of quantum technology.