The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has begun a new initiative to benchmark quantum computing algorithms and applications and assess the feasibility of building an industrial quantum computer.
DARPA said Tuesday the Quantum Benchmarking Initiative, or QBI, has stemmed from two of the agency’s programs: Quantum Benchmarking and Underexplored Systems for Utility-Scale Quantum Computing.
According to the agency, QBI seeks to strengthen engagement with quantum computing hardware companies that believe that they could undergo DARPA’s validation and verification process.
“It is in the best interest of any company who thinks they can prove they are on the path to industrial quantum computing — definitely including companies who have previously applied to US2QC — to compete for QBI funding,” said Joe Altepeter, QBI program manager at DARPA.
According to a special notice published Monday on SAM.gov, QBI seeks to determine if any emerging quantum computing approaches can attain an “industrially useful operation much faster than conventional predictions.”
“The QBI program will verify and validate approaches that enable revolutionary advances in design, engineering, testing, and evaluation in the domain of fault-tolerant quantum computing and explore computational workflows that include quantum compute steps,” the notice reads.
In addition to launching the initiative, DARPA has partnered with the Department of Energy’s Office of Science to facilitate research, development, engineering and testing of quantum computing systems and teamed up with the state of Illinois to use the latter’s quantum computing infrastructure.
