What is quantum computing? - Chicago Reader
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A PsiQuantum test and assembly facility Credit: Courtesy PsiQuantum Quantum computing uses quantum mechanics—mathematical laws that define the unique and unpredictable behaviors of the universe’s smallest particles—to perform automatic calculations in ways that traditional computers cannot. Scientists believe quantum computers may one day process more complex information far faster than our laptops and smartphones can now, potentially opening the door to new discoveries, says Danyel Cavazos, quantum instructor at the University of Chicago. However, the unpredictable behavior of the subatomic particles means current quantum computing models are prone to errors. Calculations must be run multiple times, making the technology costly and inefficient. Read more: South side residents organize around quantum megadevelopment Betting on “quantum supremacy” Researchers are working to produce a model that is “fault-tolerant” and runs as efficiently as a traditional computer while still being able to do more—a goal the industry calls “quantum supremacy,” Cavazos says. No one in the world has yet been able to develop this kind of fault-tolerant quantum computer. As artificial intelligence takes off, many in the tech industry have turned away from quantum computing, saying the technology “seems like it’s always five years away,” according to a 2025 Wall Street Journal article. And yet, Silicon Valley start-up PsiQuantum—alongside other tenants of the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP) planned for South Chicago—are betting $9 billion, including more than $850 million in public funding, on a plan to develop the world’s first quantum computer. If they’re successful, quantum computers could be used with traditional computers to help bring new medications to market faster or create more efficient batteries for electric vehicles, according to a video produced by technology company Nvidia. A PsiQuantum test and assembly facility Credit: Courtesy PsiQuantum But quantum research has largely focused on a use not described in the video: encrypting and decrypting information. Why? According to Cavazos, that’s where the money is. “You need scientists, but you also need the investors to come in and give you the money, and then you need the government to clear everything up as well,” he says. “It’s not like [cryptography] is easier [than other applications of quantum computing]—it’s that that’s the one that’s easier to convince people to give you more money.” Cavazos holds a PhD in atomic physics and runs the University of Chicago’s Quantum Educational Laboratory, where he teaches students about quantum computing. He hopes to see the technology used to protect people against hackers or replace animal testing with simulations. His curiosity and awe for his field is existential, if not spiritual. “If quantum mechanics is sort of the operating system for the universe, then everything in our life depends on it in a way, so we should understand it more,” Cavazos says. A military space race Though he is not actively involved in developing new quantum technology, Cavazos says he sometimes feels torn between his passion for the field and the ways the technology could be used by governments in the future. “When we say [quantum computing can] ‘make better passwords,’ it sounds really nice for my Facebook account, but also passwords for military secrets,” he says. “We can use these quantum technologies to make better sensors. So, maybe we can use it to sense cancer cells better, but we can also use it to geolocate airplanes better. That could be used for the military. There is definitely a lot of funding on that side, and I don’t know how to feel about it, because that’s not what I do science for—to develop weapons or things like that. “It’s almost like a Pandora’s box,” Cavazos continues, “but, as a scientist then, what’s the option?” The military has taken a special interest in quantum research as nations compete in a modern-day space race to develop the capability to hack into any data system in the world, the Wall Street Journal reports. For this reason, many positions in the quantum industry require security clearance and are only open to U.S. citizens, Cavazos says. PsiQuantum received funding for its planned Chicago research facility from DARPA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Defense whose main purpose is to develop “high-risk” technologies for military use, according to the agency’s website. DARPA, or the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, has provided at least $140 million to the project. DARPA did not respond to a request for an interview from the Reader. South Chicago residents have expressed concerns that the U.S. government will use technology developed at the facility to further surveil its own residents. IQMP spokesperson Caroline Brooks tells the Reader that the technology developed at the facility will be used in a variety of areas, including cryptography, but also health care, energy, agriculture, transportation, and more.