Quantum computers could disrupt government communications and make U.S. military aircraft and submarines more vulnerable, the Department of Commerce said.
The Department of Commerce on Wednesday banned U.S. firms from sending quantum computing technology to eight Chinese companies and labs in an attempt to prevent the country from concealing US sensitive communications and developing new military technology.
“Trade and commerce around the world should support peace, prosperity, and well-paying jobs, not security threats,” Trade Secretary Gina Raimondo said in a statement.
Although not yet technically mature, quantum computers could eventually break through encryption. The US government is also leading an effective program to develop post-quantum cryptography, but the interconnected worlds today can be exposed if quantum computers become powerful enough.
Quantum computers take advantage of ultrasmall physics to create a computer model that is far different from the standard computer chips on modern phones, laptops and laptops. But today they work only on small scales, tend to have errors that interfere with statistics and are blurred enough to require cold conditions.
Quantum is flexible
The department also identified the quantum risks of military computers including “anti-counter-stealth applications and counter-submarine applications.” It reported to the Federal Register Chinese organizations that they had added to their list of companies that included export controls.
Another market in which quantum computers are also capable of mimicking cell structures can lead to new inventions. Military technology has benefited greatly from material science in the past, so quantum computing could lead to new breakthroughs.
To achieve these benefits, many US companies are investing billions of dollars in building quantum computers. That includes Google, IBM, Microsoft, Honeywell, IonQ, Rigetti, D-Wave and Intel. Google Chief Executive Officer Sundar Photosi said in November that Chinese researchers were tied with Google in a competition to develop quantum computing technology.