Professor Christopher Monroe: Nearing the Quantum Advantage

Professor Christopher Monroe, an international leader in quantum computing, discusses the current state of play in the space, the path to quantum advantage, and the applications that will benefit once we get there. He also shares his views on increased consolidation that he expects to see amongst quantum computing players going forward and the need for greater collaboration between the different communities of scientists, engineers, application developers and enterprises to shape the future of the industry. 

Professor Monroe is the co-founder and Chief Scientist at IonQ, a start-up that made headlines by becoming the first pure-play quantum computing company to go public in October 2021. He is also a Professor of ECE and Physics at Duke University.

Tune in for an insightful conversation on one of the hottest topics of this century as Professor Monroe offers his perspectives based on 25 years of pioneering research on trapped atomic ion-based quantum computers. 

Discussion Points:

• NISQ (Noisy-Intermediate-Scale Quantum) era of quantum computing and current state of quantum capabilities
• The path and timeline to quantum advantage and commercialization 
• Applications and industries that will see the most value unlock
• Emergence of multiple full-stack players like IonQ, Xanadu, Quandco, Quantinuum
• The social challenge in development of quantum computing 
• Professor Monroe’s journey from an atomic physicist to taking IonQ public
• His other academic achievements outside of quantum computing
• Expected consolidation of quantum computing companies going forward
• HW platforms that are likely to emerge as winning technologies
• The role of multiple stakeholders in shaping the future of quantum computing 

Fernweh Insights is brought to you by Fernweh Group. The host of this episode, Nidhi Arora, is Vice President at Fernweh.

This episode is part of the Disruption 2.0 series where the focus is how a new wave of technology is disrupting multiple sectors. Fernweh Group is an investment company that is adapting an engaged investor and operator model to create alpha—performance superior to market indices—in the industrial/industrial tech sector.  

For more information:

IonQ Website

Christopher Monroe at Duke University

Christopher Monroe LinkedIn

Fernweh Group