My View: Arizona should lead in quantum computing by leaping beyond science and into practice

Let me repeat what likely jumped out at you in the headline.

Quantum computing.

You likely are not alone if your reaction was “Wait, I’m still figuring out what AI means to me. What’s this?!”

Think of your own computer as a light switch. It’s either on or off. In computer speak, it uses bits that are either 0 or 1 to process information. By comparison, quantum computers are like switches featuring both dimmers for lights and spinners for fans. That is, qubits simultaneously can be both 0 and 1 to make faster and more complex calculations (i.e., entanglement) that leave your old computer in the dust.

If your field involves cybersecurity, logistics or data processing — and whose doesn’t? — I should now have you thinking about the possibilities. Or on the home front, molecular simulations could revolutionize medicine to help ensure you and your heirs have long lives. No matter what your need may be, quantum computing is coming your way.

Arizona already has been a strong voice in shaping the national conversation on quantum policy. We’ve pushed for federal investments, workforce development and standards that ensure our nation stays ahead in this emerging race.

But policy is only part of the story. What matters now is execution as Arizona’s universities, labs, startups and industries are beginning to bring quantum from principle to practice.

The University of Arizona has long been a powerhouse in optics and photonics, and that expertise has become a natural springboard into quantum research. Its Wyant College of Optical Sciences is helping create the building blocks of a future quantum internet—from single-photon detectors to the software that will one day manage entangled networks. This isn’t theory for theory’s sake. It’s the infrastructure for secure communications that could define our digital economy in the next decade.

The university also is home to the Arizona Quantum Initiative (AQuI), a cross-disciplinary research initiative focused on quantum information science and engineering ranging from quantum networking to photonic sensors, qubit platforms and algorithm development. Anchored by the National Science Foundation-funded Center for Quantum Networks, AQuI centers on education, partnerships and investment in quantum technologies.

In our own backyard, Arizona State University is weaving quantum into the broader fabric of applied research. The Quantum Collaborative is a research collaboration funded and powered by ASU, the state of Arizona and industry partners to advance quantum science across network communications, sensing, computing, simulation and cybersecurity while training the future quantum workforce and informing policy. Teams are exploring quantum materials, superconducting circuits and hybrid algorithms designed to solve real-world challenges in logistics, finance and energy optimization. By working across disciplines—physics, engineering, math and even business—ASU is creating the kind of ecosystem where industry problems can find academic solutions that scale.

Not to be outdone, Northern Arizona University adds another dimension with its efforts in quantum sensing and cryogenics. These are technologies that may seem niche until you realize their applications: navigation in GPS-denied environments, precision measurements for aerospace, or new kinds of sensors for utilities and infrastructure. With close ties to Arizona’s expanding photonics and instrumentation sectors, NAU is producing graduates trained not just in theory but in the hands-on skills companies desperately need.

Don’t think Arizona is stuck on the ground floor with all of this. We already have sectors primed to benefit from early quantum applications. Our semiconductor ecosystem provides the fabrication and packaging capabilities needed to move quantum devices from lab prototypes to manufacturable components. Aerospace and defense companies across the state hunger for new tools in navigation, sensing and encryption. Water and energy managers see opportunities to use quantum-enhanced optimization for grid reliability and desalination. Even biosciences and health care stand to benefit as quantum algorithms begin to accelerate drug discovery and materials design.

Startups are sprouting in this fertile ground. Arizona has the raw ingredients—talent, fabrication capacity and a demanding customer base—to support young companies building quantum communication systems, advanced sensors or hybrid algorithms that can work on classical systems today but seamlessly integrate with quantum hardware tomorrow.

If we align research faculty, domain customers and entrepreneurial talent with the right mix of seed funding and pilot projects, Arizona could very well become one of the few places where early-stage quantum companies don’t just spin out but also scale.

An example of this is Quantum Computing Inc. (QCi), considered by some as the strongest active quantum-commercial presence in the state as it bridges hardware manufacturing, optics and nascent quantum applications. QCi designs quantum machines that operate at room temperature and low power to focus on applications in high-performance computing, AI, cybersecurity and sensing.

In May, QCi marked the opening of its state-of-the-art thin-film lithium niobate photonic chip foundry at ASU Research Park in Tempe. The facility enables domestic prototyping and mid-volume manufacturing of photonic chips—the building blocks of quantum systems.

For success to take hold in Arizona, the key will be pragmatic execution. Rather than trying to build the world’s biggest quantum computer, we should focus on projects that can be delivered in the next 12 to 24 months.

This means pilots like quantum-secured metro fiber links between universities and hospitals, quantum sensors monitoring pipelines and power substations, quantum-inspired optimization inside semiconductor fabs, or ruggedized quantum navigation systems tested with aerospace partners. Each is achievable now, with measurable outcomes that can show businesses where quantum provides an edge over classical methods.

What’s missing is infrastructure and coordination. Arizona would benefit from a shared testbed where universities, startups and industry can access photonic rigs, cryogenic environments and secure fiber loops. We need procurement “sandboxes” that let utilities, cities and state agencies test quantum tools without seemingly endless legal wrangling. And we need to accelerate workforce training with microcredentials in photonics, cryogenics and post-quantum cryptography so technicians and engineers can move quickly into these new fields.

Arizona should not just join the conversation but help lead it. Our strength lies not in chasing headlines about quantum supremacy, but in weaving quantum into the industries we already dominate: semiconductors, optics, aerospace and applied problem-solving. By focusing on tangible pilots, workforce readiness and industry-aligned applications, we can show the rest of the nation what practical quantum leadership looks like.

When that happens, Arizona won’t just be known for having the right policies. We’ll be known for delivering results.

Steve Zylstra is president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council.