Rep. Ted Lieu announced the allocation of nearly $1 million to create a Quantum Information Science Hub at UCLA after President Joe Biden signed the funding into law in March.

This grant will fund the purchase of a laser used to refine and develop qubits – bits made of subatomic particles that power quantum computers – with the ultimate goal of creating such a computer, according to a press release from Lieu’s office. ,

“As a recovering computer science major, I understand the importance of investing in technological research,” Lieu, an alumnus, said in an emailed statement. “I’m thrilled to have secured nearly $1 million in funding for UCLA to help advance this groundbreaking research and look forward to seeing what the lab will accomplish.”

Bits are units for storing information in classical computers, said Anastassia Alexandrova, a professor of chemistry. Qubits are bits for quantum computers that, when put together, can create a state that allows for high-speed processing, she added.

Researchers in quantum sciences investigate light-driven processes, such as photosynthetic reactions and the separation of hazardous gasses, said Sergio Carbajo, a member of the Quantum Light-Matter Cooperative at UCLA.

Quantum science researchers study these light processes by shining lasers – which are intense beams of light – on their subjects, said Wes Campbell, a professor of physics.

Because lasers used for these purposes are expensive and rare, Lieu’s funding will significantly contribute to the study of quantum sciences at UCLA, Campbell added.

These lasers would contribute to the creation of a new quantum computer by helping to test and refine qubits, Lieu said in an emailed statement.

“If you put several qubits together, you can create a quantum state, which corresponds to a superposition of many different possibilities,” Alexandrova said. “What it affords is actually exponential advantage in how fast we can simulate very complicated things.”

Quantum science requires the work of experts from a variety of fields, Carbajo said, adding that Lieu’s funding will create a common place for these people to work together.

“We have to employ so many people, so many different sets of expertise, from computational biologists to chemists, physicists, mathematicians, to even policymakers,” he said. “I cannot overemphasize having a single individual place where we can all coalesce.”

Quantum computers can also yield positive consequences for national defense through their cryptography and code-breaking abilities, Campbell said. He added that they have the potential to complete tasks in a faster, more efficient manner than even the world’s biggest supercomputers.

Scientists discover more about the quantum computer’s potential every day, Campbell said. He added that Lieu’s money will also help scientists carry out their task of discovering and sharing unknown information about the universe.

“This is our job as scientists. This is part of the social contract we have with our community,” he said. “We should be pushing the boundaries of human knowledge, and this is a tremendously exciting boundary.”