Phoenix is racing to position itself as a hub for quantum technology, backed by a new city strategy and ASU's growing research footprint.
Researchers and industry leaders say the science, manufacturing and ecosystem needed to support that vision are still in early stages, raising questions about how quickly that ambition can become reality.
The Phoenix Quantum Strategy, led by Sethuraman Panchanathan, a professor of technology and innovation at ASU, aims to build a regional quantum economy by leveraging Arizona's semiconductor industry and research base.
"ASU is well positioned to be of service to the city and the Valley, leveraging its strengths in engineering, material sciences, bioscience, and business to lead the Phoenix Quantum Strategy," Panchanathan said in a written statement. "I am eager to bring the resources of the university to the table to help lead this effort."
On April 21, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego announced the initiative during her State of the City address, framing quantum as a new driver of economic growth.
City and University officials have pointed to Arizona's growing semiconductor sector, including major manufacturing investments and a growing network of suppliers, as a foundation for future quantum development.
Panchanathan said the effort is still in its early stages and will focus on building the structure needed to support long-term growth.
"While quantum technology is still emerging, companies like IBM and IonQ are already engaging in the Phoenix area, and the near-term plan focuses on mapping regional assets, accelerating research, attracting, and growing quantum companies, and developing a clear implementation roadmap," Panchanathan said.
Panchanathan added that workforce development will be central to the strategy.
"ASU will find new ways to partner with industry to align workforce development — through curriculum, certifications, and up-skilling programs — ensuring that research translates into real-world talent and applications," Panchanathan wrote.
What is quantum — and why do semiconductors matter?
Quantum computing is a field of computer science that uses the principles of quantum physics to process information differently from traditional computers.
Instead of relying on bits, which represent 0 or 1, quantum systems use qubits, or quantum bits, which can exist in many states at once. That allows quantum computers to solve certain complex problems more efficiently.
However, building those systems is extremely difficult.
Christian Arenz, a professor at the School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, said one of the biggest challenges facing the field today is noise, instability that disrupts quantum systems and makes them difficult to scale.
"The main challenge as of today is noise, toward a scalable, quantum computer, but also for quantum sensing or quantum networks," Arenz said. "Pretty much all quantum technologies suffer from this problem."
That sensitivity means quantum hardware must be engineered with extreme precision, often at the nanoscale.
This is where semiconductors come in.
READ ME: ASU announces semiconductor facilities, partnership with Department of Commerce
Modern semiconductor manufacturing already operates at small scales, using cleanrooms, material layering and nanofabrication, all of which are essential for building semiconductors for quantum systems.
Michael Goryll, a professor in the School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, said many of those techniques carry over, even as the technology evolves.
"For quantum systems, the superconducting qubits, they need different kinds of processes," Goryll said. "But overall, it's very similar to semiconductor processing. You can apply a lot of the knowledge from your semiconductor processing to the qubits."
He added that areas like optoelectronics and materials characterization — facets already central to semiconductor work — are also critical for developing quantum systems.
That overlap does not make the transition straightforward.
Quantum systems require new materials, different processes and far more precise control than conventional semiconductor devices.
"We need to find the materials, and we need to process materials; both are challenging," Goryll said. "If you throw in unknown materials, you have to pretty much start all over."
For now, researchers say the connection between semiconductors and quantum hardware remains promising but incomplete.
Another challenge is scalability.
Arenz said the current quantum systems are highly sensitive and difficult to scale beyond small experimental setups.
He described the field as being in "really, really early stages," with no clear path yet to fully scalable systems.
Those systems rely on maintaining quantum states long enough to perform calculations, a challenge that becomes harder as systems scale.
Arenz said the quantum and semiconductor sides haven't fully merged yet, with a gap between research and large-scale manufacturing.
Despite those challenges, some investors say that building infrastructure early is necessary.
Matt Cimaglia, founder and managing partner of Quantum Coast Capital, has participated in strategic planning efforts tied to Phoenix's quantum initiative.
"When I started looking at the investment landscape, I also noticed that there weren't enough investors deploying capital in the space," he said.
Cimaglia said that's because the field remains largely in a research phase, limiting its ability to attract sustained investment — a challenge Phoenix will have to navigate as it builds out its strategy.
He said Phoenix stood out as a potential entry point because of its semiconductor growth and existing infrastructure.
"It was just a natural place," Cimaglia said. "By partnering and looking at the resources that were available in Arizona, it allowed me to see that this was a structural path on being able to have another part of the node in the system of many that could help support the quantum ecosystem."
But he emphasized that no single region — including Phoenix — will define the future of quantum technology.
"I don't think of the quantum ecosystem anymore as just like a Silicon Valley play," Cimaglia said. "With quantum … there needs to be diverse mindsets, and there needs to be diversity in locations and geography, and, so I'm really impressed with what we've seen in Connecticut, in New York, in Maryland, in Florida, in Tennessee, in New Mexico, in Colorado and in Arizona."
For now, Phoenix and the University are focused on building the foundation for a quantum future.
Edited by Jack McCarthy, Henry Smardo and Pippa Fung.
Reach the reporter at mmart533@asu.edu.
Like The State Press on Facebook and follow @statepress on X.
MJ Martinez is a senior reporter at The State Press. She has worked for the paper for 3 semesters, working previously as a SciTech Reporter.
