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Department of Energy Announces $11.7M for Quantum Computing ResearchDepartment of Energy Announces $11.7M for Quantum Computing Research

Six projects could lead the way to new clean energy solutions and better climate change modeling

Berenice Baker, Editor, Enter Quantum, co-editor AI Business

July 31, 2023

1 Min Read
Connected solar panels and wind turbines
The DOE wants to see if quantum computing can solve clean energy problems. Getty

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded $11.7 million in funding for six collaborative projects intended to improve the understanding of whether, when and how quantum computing might advance the frontiers of computational science.

The DOE already operates the fastest supercomputer in the world, Frontier, located at its Oak Ridge National Laboratory. However, quantum has the potential to solve problems even Frontier cannot.

“Quantum computing is a rapidly advancing technology that may one day push the boundaries of computational science beyond what we can achieve with exascale machines like Frontier,” said DOE acting associate director for advanced scientific computing research Ceren Susut.

“Today’s supercomputers allow us to explore scientific problems in ways we haven’t been able to in the past – modeling dangerous or costly experiments, accelerating clean energy options, and mitigating the impacts of climate change. It’s imperative that we understand what quantum computers are capable of so we can build future generations of supercomputers.”

The awarded projects aim to explore the capability of currently available quantum computers, known as noisy, intermediate-scale (NISQ) processors available today. This will involve developing tools to assess whether a quantum processor might be able to achieve computational goals even without error correction.

Related:Partnership Explores Quantum Computing for Renewable Energy Grid

Total funding for the program, known as Quantum Testbed Pathfinder, is $12 million over four years. 

About the Author

Berenice Baker

Editor, Enter Quantum, co-editor AI Business, Informa TechTarget

Berenice is the editor of Enter Quantum and co-editor of AI Business. She has over 20 years of experience as a technology journalist, having previously worked at The Engineer and Global Defence Technology.

Before that, she worked as an IT consultant, fuelling her passion for technology and innovation. She graduated with one of the country's first-ever IT degrees so long ago it coincided with Tim Berners-Lee inventing the World Wide Web.

Berenice lives in north London with her cat Huxley. In her spare time, she enjoys going to music gigs, museums and galleries, dabbling in art and playing guitar (badly).

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