US Department of Energy Renews Funding for National Quantum Information Science Centers; IBM Deepens Collaboration

The United States Department of Energy (DoE) has announced continued funding for the National Quantum Information Science Research Centers (NQISRCs), reaffirming its long-term commitment to advancing the nation’s leadership in quantum computing. IBM welcomed the move, describing it as a vital step in strengthening America’s position in the global quantum technology race.

The renewed funding stems from the 2018 National Quantum Initiative Act, which authorized up to $625 million to establish five dedicated research centers aimed at accelerating quantum information science. IBM is now a participant in four of these centers, collaborating to drive what it calls the next evolution of computing—quantum-centric supercomputing.

According to IBM, quantum-centric supercomputing represents a new paradigm that tightly integrates classical CPUs, GPUs, and quantum processors (QPUs) into a single compute architecture. The goal is to harness the combined strengths of each to deliver performance capabilities beyond what any single technology can achieve alone. Realizing this vision will require not only scalable, fault-tolerant quantum systems, but also new software, infrastructure, and networking frameworks capable of linking quantum resources together.

IBM said the broader promise of the quantum revolution will depend on uniting three core pillars of quantum technology—computing, sensing, and communication—to ultimately create a quantum computing internet. Such an infrastructure would allow multiple quantum processors to operate in concert, laying the foundation for new scientific and industrial breakthroughs.

To advance that goal, IBM outlined two major areas of exploration with the NQISRCs: scaling toward a quantum computing internet and developing quantum algorithms for real-world scientific applications.

Scaling a Quantum Computing Internet

The company said one of the most pressing challenges is building an architecture that can seamlessly interconnect quantum systems for computing, communication, and sensing. A key focus will be to demonstrate the feasibility of extensible quantum networks—even within datacenters—using linked, cryogenically housed quantum computers.

IBM plans to work with the Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Center (SQMS) at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory to explore this next phase of scalability. As part of the effort, IBM intends to introduce a new interface known as a Quantum Networking Unit (QNU), enabling research into microwave-based link technologies. A central goal of the collaboration is to entangle two IBM quantum computers housed in separate cryogenic environments via a microwave-based network—an interconnected datacenter demonstrator that the company aims to realize within five years.

In addition to the work with SQMS, IBM also hopes to partner with Q-NEXT at Argonne National Laboratory to study long-distance quantum connectivity through optical links. The collaboration would focus on developing efficient microwave-optic transducers, devices capable of converting microwave photons to optical frequencies at the single-photon level. This research could enable the creation of quantum networks spanning hundreds of meters or even kilometers.

Advancing Algorithms and Applications

Alongside its hardware ambitions, IBM emphasized the importance of algorithmic innovation as quantum computers mature. The company plans to work with the Quantum Science Center (QSC) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory to identify new use cases that demonstrate quantum utility—scenarios where quantum computing can outperform classical methods. These efforts will include developing advanced error-mitigation and correction techniques, refining quantum subroutines, and designing new algorithms that integrate seamlessly with high-performance computing environments.

IBM is also collaborating with the Co-Design Center for Quantum Advantage (C2QA) at Brookhaven National Laboratory to apply these algorithms to real-world scientific problems in high-energy physics and condensed matter research. The goal is to translate complex physical models into quantum circuits and test them on real quantum hardware, advancing the field of computational materials science.

Strengthening the U.S. Quantum Ecosystem

IBM said it views the DoE’s continued support as essential to sustaining momentum in national quantum research. “We applaud the Department of Energy for continuing to fund these mission-critical centers,” the company said in a statement. “This investment not only accelerates the realization of quantum-centric supercomputing but also strengthens the United States’ leadership in the fast-evolving quantum landscape.”