The Computer That Thinks Differently: The Quantum Revolution Leaves the Lab

Quantum computing is rapidly moving from a scientific research field confined to laboratories into a global technological race. Countries, companies and investors are competing to build a capability that could redefine the boundaries of computing, cybersecurity and defense.

This will not be the computer that replaces the laptop or smartphone. Quantum computers are designed for highly complex computational tasks — problems that classical computers simply cannot solve within a reasonable timeframe. If they deliver on their promise, they could transform fields such as drug development, materials discovery, energy systems, logistics, intelligence, cybersecurity and defense.

In Israel, the organization aiming to connect all parts of the local quantum ecosystem — industry, entrepreneurship, government and policy, academia and research, investors, infrastructure, community and more — is Qubit IL, a volunteer-based nonprofit organization officially established about a year ago.

“The quantum revolution is already happening, here and now, and everything has accelerated over the past two years,” says Tami Mazel Shachar, CEO of Qubit IL, in an interview with Cybertech. “In the not-too-distant future, quantum computing will be what separates a country from a global power. It will probably not be possible to simply purchase these computers — countries will need to build them locally. Right now, the world is in a quantum race, somewhat reminiscent of the nuclear race. Whoever has quantum capabilities will have power.”

Changing the way computers think

The technology world is currently experiencing two major revolutions: artificial intelligence and quantum computing. But while AI has already entered everyday use, quantum computing still sounds futuristic and mysterious to many people. So what does it actually mean, in the simplest terms?

The computers we use today, from laptops to the world’s largest data centers,  are based on bits. Each bit can exist in only one of two states: 0 or 1. Billions of these bits work together to perform calculations at enormous speeds.

A quantum computer works differently. It is not simply another generation of faster computers, but an entirely different approach to processing information. Instead of bits, quantum computing uses qubits, which are based on phenomena from quantum physics — the field that studies the behavior of the smallest particles in nature.

“In quantum physics, which has existed for only about a century, there are three fundamental principles: superposition, entanglement and measurement,” explains Mazel Shachar.

Superposition is one of the strangest phenomena in quantum physics. Unlike the everyday world, where something exists in one place or one state, a quantum particle can exist in a state that represents multiple possibilities simultaneously.

“You can think about a coin spinning in the air. As long as it is spinning, it is both heads and tails,” she explains. Fans of The Big Bang Theory may remember the famous thought experiment known as “Schrödinger’s cat,” which illustrates superposition: as long as the cat remains inside a closed box, it cannot be known whether it is alive or dead.

The second phenomenon is called entanglement. Here, the story becomes even stranger.

“Two particles can be far apart,” says Mazel Shachar “For example, one could be on the Moon and the other on Earth. Once you measure one particle and see its result, you can know the result of the other particle.”

She adds that even Albert Einstein struggled with the idea, famously referring to it as “spooky action at a distance.”

The third phenomenon is measurement itself. In the quantum world, the act of trying to measure or observe a system changes it.

“The moment we try to measure components that are in superposition or entanglement, they collapse. Going back to the coin analogy: once it lands, it is either heads or tails. That is the idea in the quantum world. There is a representation of many possible states, but once you measure it, it collapses into one state — and that is the major challenge of quantum computing.”

If scientists succeed in harnessing these three phenomena, an entirely new way of performing calculations becomes possible. Instead of examining possibilities one by one, as classical computers do, a quantum computer can process an enormous number of possible states during a calculation.

Not every problem will be solved faster, but for certain types of highly complex problems, the difference could be dramatic.

The impact could include breakthroughs in many areas: simulating molecules to develop new drugs, discovering advanced materials, solving optimization problems in transportation, energy and logistics, analyzing complex financial models, and, of course, applications in defense and cybersecurity.

Interestingly, Mazel Shachar herself is not a physicist. She entered the field after decades of experience in the high-tech and deep-tech industries, including serving as co-president of NSO and CEO of 3M Electronic Monitoring.

After October 7, she decided to take a career break and look for a way to contribute to the country. A meeting with entrepreneur Miriam Shtilman, who was involved in establishing Qubit IL – at the time still an informal community of quantum enthusiasts in Israel – led her to her new path.

Today, she says, after studying and immersing herself in the field, she “feels like half a physicist.”

From the lab to the world, but still without scale

Despite the enormous promise, quantum computing is still in a transitional stage. It is no longer just a laboratory research field, but it is also not yet scalable for widespread use.

The main challenge is building large and stable quantum computers. Qubits are extremely sensitive to environmental disturbances (“quantum noise”), error rates remain high, and operating these systems requires extreme conditions — including cooling to exceptionally low temperatures and highly precise control and measurement systems.

To reach truly useful quantum computers, the industry still needs to overcome major hardware, software and error-correction challenges.

“Today there are already companies offering initial proof-of-concept projects, where organizations are testing how quantum computing can address real-world problems,” says Mazel Shachar. “There are also public companies developing quantum computers using different approaches. Although the technology is not yet mature for broad use, the systems are already performing calculations, there is constant progress, and the feasibility exists.”

But feasibility is only the beginning. Today’s quantum computers can operate with dozens or hundreds of qubits. To perform tasks that could truly change the world — from drug discovery to breaking advanced encryption methods — they will likely require hundreds of thousands of qubits, at minimum.

This is the scalability challenge, and one of the greatest engineering problems facing the field.

In recent years, breakthroughs have also been made in this area, and Israel’s contribution has been particularly notable. Just last week, for example, a collaboration between IBM and Israeli startup Kedma was reported. The company developed quantum error-correction methods — one of the key obstacles on the path toward increasing the number of qubits and building larger, more stable quantum computers.

The Israeli angle

Israel is not yet a quantum superpower on the scale of the United States or China, but it already has an impressive group of companies operating across different layers of quantum technology, from hardware to software.

In 2018, Israel launched its National Quantum Science and Technology Program with a budget of NIS 200 million, helping move technologies from academic laboratories into commercial companies.  In 2020, the initiative evolved into Israel's National Quantum Science and Technology Program, with a budget of NIS 1.25 billion, in collaboration with the Ministries of Defense, Innovation, Science and Technology, Finance, and the Israel Innovation Authority.

Last month, the Israel Innovation Authority, the Directorate of Defense Research and Development (MAFAT), and the National Quantum Program Directorate announced a tender to establish a quantum R&D center with a budget of approximately NIS 100 million. The goal is to advance the development of multiple hardware technologies in parallel and ensure that Israel maintains access to advanced capabilities in the future.

“The understanding is that we need a blue-and-white quantum computer, without relying on supply chains from other countries,” says Mazel Shachar. She adds that Israeli quantum companies have raised more than $800 million over the past two years, and that Israel stands out in terms of private investment in the field relative to its size.

“There is an impressive number of companies here, major fundraising rounds, significant breakthroughs in capabilities, and a respected position on the global stage. The world has invested about $50 billion in the field through government funding. Israel has invested much less, but with the right focus, entrepreneurial mindset and Israeli collaboration, we are achieving very strong results.”

Among the Israeli companies operating in the field are those developing quantum hardware itself, including Quantum Source, QuamCore, Quantum Transistors, Q-Factor and Quantum Art, alongside companies focused on software and infrastructure layers, such as Classiq and Quantum Machines, which are developing tools that will allow developers and organizations to prepare for the day when quantum computers become widely available.

When encryption meets quantum

Like every major technological revolution, quantum computing brings both enormous promise and new challenges. The same extraordinary computational capabilities that could enable breakthroughs in science, medicine and industry could also change the balance of power in cybersecurity and undermine some of the protection mechanisms on which today’s internet relies.

One area where the impact could be particularly dramatic is encryption. Many of the encryption systems currently used online are based on mathematical problems that classical computers struggle to solve within a reasonable timeframe. A sufficiently powerful quantum computer could eventually change that equation.

“Today there is already a phenomenon called Harvest Now, Decrypt Later,” says Mazel Shachar. “Countries and organizations are collecting and storing encrypted information today, assuming that in the future, when powerful enough quantum computers exist, it will be possible to decrypt it.”

This means that even though such a quantum computer does not yet exist, sensitive information encrypted today could become vulnerable in the future.

That is why the world has already begun a gradual transition to Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) — new encryption methods designed to withstand quantum computers.

“Our goal is to encourage organizations to start mapping their assets now,” says Mazel Shachar. “To understand what needs protection today and what is less critical.”

Alongside the risks, quantum computing also brings extraordinary opportunities. The ability to tackle complex computational problems could affect areas such as drug discovery, new materials, energy, finance and defense — fields where even a small improvement in computing power could create a significant change.

The defense sector is also watching developments closely.

“The defense industry is looking very, very closely at quantum,” says Mazel Shachar. “Almost every major defense company in Israel has activity in this area.”

Preparing industry before the computer is ready

One of the principles guiding Qubit IL’s activities is that organizations should not wait for a large, useful quantum computer before preparing. On the contrary — companies and institutions need to build knowledge and experience today.

To support this goal, the organization runs entrepreneurship programs, engineer training, hackathons, activities with various industries, and educational programs in schools and universities.

One of its key initiatives is Quantum Fellows — a forum connecting senior executives from companies in sectors including energy, finance, healthcare, infrastructure and industry, helping them understand the opportunities and risks brought by the technology.

At the same time, the organization is working to expand Israel’s quantum community — from researchers and students to high-school pupils — recognizing that human capital will be one of the field’s biggest challenges in the coming years.

“We are trying to make the subject as accessible as possible,” says Mazel Shachar. She says Israel’s advantage lies in its ability to quickly connect academia, industry, government and entrepreneurs, and describes an unusually strong level of cooperation among all stakeholders involved.

The path toward large-scale quantum computers is still filled with scientific and engineering challenges, but the race has already begun. The question is not whether quantum capabilities will arrive, but who will be ready when they become reality.

Those who wait until the technology is fully mature may discover they joined the race too late.

follow us -Google News