U.S. hatches plan to build a quantum internet

US officials with the Department of Energy and scientists unveiled a plan to pursue what they called one of the most important technological frontiers of the 21st century: building a quantum Internet. They set goals for forging what they called a second Internet — one that would function alongside the globe’s existing networks, using the laws of quantum mechanics to share information more securely and to connect a new generation of computers and sensors. Quantum technology seeks to harness the distinct properties of atoms, photons and electrons to build more powerful computers and other tools for processing information. A quantum Internet relies on photons exhibiting a quantum state known as entanglement, which allows them to share information over long distances without having a physical connection.

The US’s top technology rival, China, is investing heavily in quantum technology, a field that could transform information processing and confer big economic and national-security advantages to countries that dominate it. The Department of Energy and its 17 national labs will form the backbone of the project.