Quantum Computing -- A new scientific revolution in the making
Koen Bertels, Emma Turki, Tamara Sarac, Aritra Sarkar, Imran Ashraf
TL;DR
The paper argues that progress in quantum computing should not wait for mature hardware and proposes QC-Logic through the PISQ (Perfect Intermediate-Scale Quantum) framework, complemented by NFTQC and FTQC, to enable end-user quantum applications via simulation and abstraction. It presents a full-stack architectural model and a 10–15 year roadmap to integrate hardware and software development, emphasizing cross-disciplinary collaboration and the need for scalable quantum gates and verification. Three domain examples—Earth Observation, Quantum Chemistry, and Quantum Genomics—illustrate how QC-logic can drive concrete algorithms and testbeds on simulators up to tens of qubits, bridging theory and practice. The framework aims to accelerate the creation of quantum-enabled methods and infrastructure, preparing the scientific community for a future where fault-tolerant quantum computing becomes practically viable.
Abstract
Given the impending timeline of developing good-quality quantum processing units, it is time to rethink the approach to advance quantum computing research. Rather than waiting for quantum hardware technologies to mature, we need to start assessing in tandem the impact of the occurrence of quantum computing, or rather Quantum Computing Logic (QC-Logic), on various scientific fields. This is where the subtitle comes from. A new scientific revolution is unfolding. In making real scientific progress, we need to use an additional and complementary approach, which the NISQ program or any follow-up approach does not propose. We must be aware that defining, implementing, and testing quantum concepts in any field is tremendous work. The main reason is that QC initiates an overall revolution in all scientific fields, and how those machines will be used in daily life is a very big challenge. That is why we propose a complete update of the first PISQ paper. We still advocate the additional PISQ approach: Perfect Intermediate-Scale Quantum computing based on a well-established concept of perfect qubits. We expand the quantum road map with (N)FTQC, which stands for (Non) Fault-Tolerant Quantum Computing. This will allow researchers to focus exclusively on developing new applications by defining the algorithms in terms of perfect qubits and evaluating them in two ways. Either executed on quantum computing simulators executed on supercomputers or hardware-based qubit chips. This approach will be explained in this paper. Our planet needs a long-term vision and solution. It will enable universities and companies alike to accelerate the development of new quantum algorithms, build the necessary know-how, and thus address one of the key bottlenecks within the quantum industry: the lack of talent to develop well-tested quantum applications.