USC has been a leader in quantum computing for more than 20 years.  Led by the Center for Quantum Information Sciences and Technologies (CQIST), in 2011 it became the first U.S. university to host a quantum computing system, the D-Wave One. Today, it provides access to both IBM and D-Wave quantum computing systems, to both researchers and students. USC is also the first university on the West Coast to be named an IBM Quantum Innovation Center. 

As part of the university Frontiers of Computing Initiative, the Viterbi School of Engineering and the Dornsife College of Letters and Sciences are jointly expanding USC’s investment in quantum information sciences and technologies by hiring new faculty and creating a thriving community of academic researchers and industry partners, with the goal of accelerating the development and application of quantum technologies.

USC is organizing a Quantum Technologies Forum on November 7, 2024, that will convene representatives from industry, academia, and government from Southern California, to build a quantum technologies ecosystem that will drive new discoveries, create new collaborations, and train the future quantum workforce.

Quantum Computing Access

USC has access to two Quantum Computing Systems, which can be accessed by all students, researchers, and faculty.

• The IBM Quantum Innovation Center (the only one on the West Coast) provides access to more than 10 IBM quantum processors.
• The USC Quantum Computing Center provides access to the D-Wave Advantage System, hosted on site at the Information Sciences Institute.