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What’s at stake in the US-China quest for quantum dominance
The race is fought qubit by qubit in the rather esoteric realm of quantum physics. But the potential real-life applications of this new field are vast, ranging from military navigation and cryptography to financial forecasting.
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Dr Shintaro Sato, who heads the quantum laboratory at Fujitsu Research, with a 64-qubit chip that powers the quantum computer jointly developed by Fujitsu with Riken.
ST PHOTO: WALTER SIM
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TOKYO – What if China found a quick and reliable means to “unmask” US stealth fighters? If satellite navigation were knocked out during war, is there another way to help submarines and ships find their way in the oceans?
In the field of military technology, a new and intense arms race is under way between the United States and China. Unlike showy displays of firepower, it is one based on the promise of quantum science. China claims to have had a head start in developing a quantum radar to detect stealth fighters. And both countries are looking to quantum-inspired technologies to safeguard battlefield communications in case satellites are “blinded”.
