What is quantum, anyway? Sandia’s Jake Douglass is here to explain — and build

Imagine a microchip that stores a cryptographic quantum “key,” providing the utmost security because its very essence changes when someone tries to breach it.

Or a navigation system that can pinpoint exactly where you are with zero external assistance, like satellites and GPS.

These are only a few of the ideas that enthrall quantum scientists, including the team at Sandia National Laboratories that is working on making New Mexico a center for new and somewhat mind-boggling technology.

“Quantum is complicated,” says Jake Douglass, Sandia’s quantum business development specialist. “There’s a lot of work being done right now to try to identify what are the most killer applications. And how can businesses engage in that? There’s a lot of different opportunities across the board.”

Sandia is among the public-private partners in New Mexico’s Quantum Moonshot Engine project, which is competing to snare up to $160 million in federal funding over the next 10 years. The goal is to launch groundbreaking research and “position our state at the forefront of this critical field for years to come,” Douglass says.

The New Mexico effort received good news recently when it was named among 29 semi-finalists that will now compete to become one of 10 winners. A decision by the National Science Foundation is expected in October.

Part of Douglass’ job is to work on the economic development piece: Getting public support for the new technologies and attracting industry and businesses that will hire people — across all education levels — and boost the economy.

Education is part of the mix, too. Douglass co-leads a summer camp at Sandia that introduces quantum ideas to students and teachers.

But there are, he says, challenges in pushing for a technology that most people don’t understand.

“It’s all so cutting-edge,” he explained. “Trying to push the envelope is really, really cool, but (also) trying to bring everyone along at the same time. So I try to sit in that middle of translating how quantum will impact our communities, our partners, things like that — for not a quantum audience.”

What does success look like when it comes to a quantum hub for New Mexico?

It’s the enhanced partnerships in creating that innovation ecosystem. Right now, we have the national labs and academia doing quantum in the state. Success looks like bigger programs at both of those places. Bringing in our industry partners, starting new businesses, providing that impact that both can feed back into the research and development space, but also providing jobs and economic development opportunities.

Please give me some examples of quantum applications for everyday life.

It could enable our financial sector by doing portfolio optimization or detecting fraud. It could affect our bio and life sciences with drug discovery, really enhancing how we do science at the micro-level. If we’re talking about aerospace, different types of navigation capability or the ability to design new materials or do different types of simulations. People are still exploring.

What makes quantum concepts difficult to understand?

What people say about quantum is, “If you think you understand quantum mechanics, you obviously don’t understand quantum mechanics.” It’s just so counterintuitive to what we’re taught growing up in our classes. And we’re used to the macro scale, but quantum is dealing with the smallest of the small. It behaves a lot differently than what we’re used to with our classical systems. It gives us an exponential kind of computing potential, whereas what we have now is linear.

What’s the educational piece of your efforts?

It’s the kids who are in high school right now that are going to be using the computers, to program and to figure out what we can do. So how can we set them up to know that quantum exists — to give them landing spots for jobs in New Mexico so they’re not leaving and going elsewhere? But as of now, less than half of quantum jobs out there require Ph.Ds. As these systems are becoming more mature, there is more and more demand for bachelor-level jobs. And we see a huge opportunity for technician-level jobs … who can help operate systems and maintain them.

Do the current federal funding cuts concern you?

The great thing about quantum is that it has strong bipartisan support, so even as we’re looking at funding possibilities for out-years, quantum is going to be maintained and grown in certain areas. It is such a critical technology, and there’s a race across the world for it.

What advice would you give people looking to enter this field?

The exploration piece and the willingness to be uncomfortable. When there is an opportunity you’re interested in, try to learn about it. Or if you see a summer camp that could be fun, apply for it. Taking that next step beyond, “Oh, I’ve seen that. Cool.” And then moving on. But instead: “That seems cool, but let’s try to learn more.” We’re trying to build those opportunities with our K-12 partners, with our college partners, our university partners, so people … (can) see what it might look like to be a scientist or to work in the quantum field. There are lots of pathways in and out, and just being willing to explore them.

What quantum applications are you most excited about?

It’s all so cutting-edge. In our classical systems, I would have never thought I’d have a supercomputer in my pocket when they were once taking up entire rooms to do basic things. I’m particularly interested in some of the materials discovery applications — what it might do with medicine, with building batteries, what it might do with creating new materials to support x, y, z type of application. And really, I’m most excited to see what creative ideas people come up with. Things you just can’t even imagine.