About
The University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) hosts China's most advanced quantum technology research programme, led by Pan Jianwei, widely recognised as China's leading quantum scientist. USTC's quantum research covers all major areas of quantum technology and has produced several world-record milestones in quantum computing and quantum communications. In quantum communications, USTC's milestones include the Micius quantum satellite in 2016, which demonstrated satellite-based quantum key distribution and quantum entanglement over 1,200 km, the quantum internet backbone connecting Beijing and Shanghai in 2022, and ground-station quantum teleportation experiments. In quantum computing, USTC achieved Jiuzhang photonic quantum advantage in 2020 and again in 2021 with Jiuzhang 2.0 and 3.0, and demonstrated Zuchongzhi superconducting quantum processors with 56-qubit and 66-qubit systems showing quantum computational advantage over classical simulation. In December 2024, USTC released Zuchongzhi 3.0, a 105-qubit superconducting processor rivaling Google's Willow chip and demonstrating quantum computational advantage. In December 2025, USTC published Zuchongzhi 3.2 with a claimed quantum error correction breakthrough, described as directly competing with Google's surface code QEC results. USTC operates under China's National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale and is closely affiliated with the CAS Key Laboratory of Quantum Information. The programme receives major funding from the Chinese government's quantum national strategy and is central to China's ambition to lead in quantum computing, communications, and sensing. Pan Jianwei's group at USTC produces the largest cohort of quantum researchers of any single institution in the world, with extensive collaboration across Chinese national laboratories and international partnerships.
Quantum Specifications
| Qubit Technology | Superconducting (Zuchongzhi 3.0, Dec 2024) |
| Physical Qubits | 105 |
| Quantum Focus | hardware |