Modern quantum mechanics has been a very exciting topic since its birth a century ago in 1925. To mark this special milestone, the United Nations declared 2025 the “International Year of Quantum Science and Technology.” Scientists and enthusiasts alike are thrilled by the transformative potential of quantum computing, which they hope will completely reshape multiple industries such as medicine and cryptography. The problem is, we haven’t even gotten close to scratching the surface of quantum computing, and it may take years before we have a significant breakthrough.
The stakes are high without a doubt. Nations are racing to achieve quantum superiority or “quantum advantage,” as such a position would have important implications for national security, economic dominance, and scientific advancement.
Quantum computing draws on a fundamental concept of quantum physics known as “superposition,” which means a single entity can occupy multiple states simultaneously.
Quantum computing promises to harness the principles of quantum mechanics and reach a level of information processing that regular computers we use today cannot. Traditional computers use bits (0s or 1s), while quantum computers use qubits, which can perform in multiple states simultaneously. Quantum systems have the potential to perform multiple complex calculations at unprecedented speeds and, if applied to the real world, could solve some of our greatest challenges and might even eliminate the need for millions of jobs.
According to the experts, quantum computing could revolutionize medicine, cryptography, artificial intelligence, materials science, and financial modeling. It is possible that quantum computing could change everything from education and data analytics to architecture and even meteorology, where weather pattern forecasting is notoriously difficult.
And there have been some recent achievements, several of which have been outlined by Forbes.
The first wireless transmission of a quantum algorithm between two distinct quantum processors was accomplished by a group of researchers at the University of Oxford.
Microsoft has advanced the timeline for the actualization of large-scale quantum computing. It’s new Majorana 1 processor uses particles that are the opposite of each other… The scope is enormous: one chip has the potential to surpass the combined performance of all current computers.
Google unveiled Willow, its newest quantum chip with significant error-correcting enhancements.
Reimei, the first hybrid quantum supercomputer in history, has been turned on by Japanese engineers. The 20-qubit quantum machine has been integrated into Fugaku, the sixth-fastest supercomputer in the world.
Intel is taking steps to build scalable silicon-based quantum processors, which pave the way for mass production and further scaling of silicon-based quantum processors.
IBM recently created “IBM Quantum System Two” which is well-known for its quantum data centers.
A breakthrough in quantum computing has been made with the successful calibration and benchmarking of D-Wave Quantum’s new 4,400+ qubit Advantage2TM processor.
Quantinuum recently launched an industry-first Trapped-Ion 56-Qubit Quantum Computer, and the company also achieved the “three 9s” – 99.9% – two-qubit gate fidelity across all qubit pairs in a production device.
These tech giants are pouring billions into quantum development, with IBM, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft leading the pack.
Aside from the United States, other players, including China, the EU, Japan, and Australia, are also investing heavily, with 33 countries having government-backed quantum initiatives totaling up to $50 billion.
Despite the hype, quantum computing faces significant hurdles. Qubits are notoriously error-prone, requiring highly controlled environments to maintain coherence and fidelity. Skeptics, including Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, argue that practical quantum applications may be decades away due to scaling and error challenges.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang previously argued that practical quantum applications may be decades away. However, in March, Huang walked back his comments, saying he didn’t realize how much his remarks affected quantum-related stocks.
Still, there are scaling and error challenges that need to be overcome, and Huang wasn’t necessarily wrong in his assessment. It will likely take years for companies to build out their quantum hardware and software capabilities.
This year will be an exciting year that will hopefully see even more advancements in quantum computing since Werner Heisenberg’s original paper on the matter was published. As we reshape the technological landscape, we may be leaving the digital age—and entering the quantum age.
