Opinion | An old problem could stop the U.S. from leading on quantum computers - The Washington Post

U.S. leadership in quantum computing faces a critical bottleneck: a shortage of specialized helium-3, essential for cooling quantum processors, which risks stalling progress by 2026. Experts Chris Miller and Josh Zoffer warn reliance on foreign helium-3—primarily from Russia and China—creates strategic vulnerabilities, echoing past semiconductor supply chain crises. Current U.S. stockpiles, sourced from nuclear weapons decommissioning, are depleting rapidly, with no scalable domestic production or alternatives in place to meet surging quantum research demands. The White House’s 2024 economic policy team failed to prioritize helium-3 infrastructure, leaving private firms like PsiQuantum scrambling for solutions amid geopolitical tensions and export restrictions. Without urgent investment in helium-3 extraction or synthetic cooling breakthroughs, the U.S. could cede quantum supremacy to competitors within five years, undermining national security and tech dominance.