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

Key Chapter Title List

1. Executive Summary
2. Summary of Recommendations
3. Quantum Technology: The Next Frontier of Science and Technology
4. Demystifying Quantum Technology
5. Quantum Leadership and the U.S. Status Quo
6. The Composition of the Quantum Industrial Base
7. Historical Precedents from High-Performance Computing
8. China and Quantum Competition
9. Next Steps
10. Recommendations for National Security
11. Recommendations for Research
12. Recommendations for Talent Development

Document Introduction

As a new frontier of innovation, the development of quantum technology is crucial for the United States to maintain its global leadership. Faced with sustained 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 minds in U.S. quantum science and industry through diverse formats such as seminars, workshops, and consultations, culminating in this comprehensive strategic report. The report's core focus is 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 a profound impact on national economic competitiveness but is also a critical pillar for ensuring national security. Currently, most quantum technologies are in their early stages of development and have not yet formed immediate application value like artificial intelligence or semiconductors. However, early investment will establish a key advantage for the future—historical experience shows that the cost and risks of falling behind in technological competition are high and significant. The report reveals the strategic significance of quantum technology through three core case studies: quantum navigation can address the fatal vulnerability of the 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, safeguarding 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 simultaneously 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 layouts of numerous countries globally, the report proposes systematic policy recommendations: Congress should double quantum R&D funding for agencies like the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Department of Energy (DOE); establish a dedicated quantum sensing program focusing on breakthroughs in positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) technologies; accelerate the application and compliance of post-quantum cryptography standards; build a secure supply chain for critical quantum materials; strengthen 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 "Sputnik moment" of catch-up, and ensuring the United States' long-term leadership in this critical strategic field of quantum technology.