Quantum Leaps: Part 1

IARPA: Disbelief to Doubt

The demand to solve increasingly complex problems is accelerating beyond the capabilities of traditional computing approaches. Quantum computing promises to revolutionize a host of industries by enabling rapid solutions to complex problems that are currently intractable for more traditional – or classical – computers. As a primary funder of quantum research since 2009, IARPA-sponsored efforts have resulted in multiple world-record demonstrations of quantum computing capabilities, including achieving a “Quantum Advantage” – when a quantum computer can solve a problem more efficiently than a classical one. IARPA-funded quantum efforts have also led to over a thousand publications, dozens of patents, and the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physics. In part one of this two-part episode, we sit down with former IARPA Program Manager, and resident quantum expert, Dr. Michael Di Rosa to talk about his journey to IARPA, what quantum computing is exactly, how it differs from more traditional computing, and much more.