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2026 SELECTION

QubitWire 100

100 people recognized for contributions to quantum computing. Unranked and alphabetical by surname.

An unranked collection. Browse by surname or start with an idea.

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Explain these topics
Error correction
Methods that protect encoded quantum information by detecting and correcting certain errors.
Neutral atoms
A hardware approach that stores quantum information in electrically neutral atoms.
Quantum networks
Links that distribute quantum information or entanglement between locations.
Algorithms & complexity
How quantum calculations work and what resources they require.
Foundations
The concepts and physical principles that quantum information builds on.

The 2026 selection4 of 100 people

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C

1 person

Calarco develops quantum-control approaches and helps organize European quantum research, connecting the precise manipulation of devices with coordinated programs for building quantum technologies.

Forschungszentrum Jülich

Director, Institute for Quantum Control

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Why included? 3 sources

Calarco’s contribution links technical control research with the institutions that support it. His institute works on methods for steering quantum systems toward desired operations, a problem shared by multiple qubit approaches. He also helped shape the Quantum Manifesto and the European coordination that followed, connecting a research agenda to a broader technology program. This combination matters because useful quantum computing depends on both precise operations and sustained collaboration across groups. The profile identifies those documented activities without crediting him with every result produced by the programs he helped organize.

Control & measurementPolicy & institutions

Documented work base: Germany

Identification checked Explore the contributions and sources

G

1 person

A science and technology executive whose quantum-sector work spans IBM research leadership and a United States Department of Energy agenda for scientifically useful quantum computing.

United States Department of Energy

Under Secretary for Science

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Why included? 2 sources

Gil’s contribution is institutional: directing research organizations and shaping the conditions under which quantum technology is developed. His earlier IBM leadership included the company’s cloud-accessible quantum-computing effort. At the Department of Energy, he has commissioned planning for scientific quantum-computing capability and potential user infrastructure. These responsibilities influence research priorities and access, but neither a corporate title nor a policy roadmap constitutes proof that a proposed machine or performance target has already been achieved.

Policy & institutionsIndustry & commercialization

Documented work base: United States

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H

1 person

Heijman helped organize the Netherlands’ quantum ecosystem, connecting national strategy, research institutions, companies and shared facilities through Quantum Delta NL and House of Quantum.

Heijman Consultancy

Director, Heijman Consultancy

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Why included? 2 sources

Quantum programs depend on institutions as well as instruments. Heijman’s documented contribution is building connections among research, industry, education and government in the Netherlands. The International Year of Quantum profile credits her with helping initiate and shape the national program; her World Economic Forum biography records cofounding Quantum Delta NL and House of Quantum. Together these activities address the coordination and infrastructure that allow scientific capabilities to become a sustained ecosystem for research and commercialization.

Policy & institutionsIndustry & commercialization

Documented work base: Netherlands

Identification checked Explore the contributions and sources

M

1 person

Connects quantum businesses, research organizations and public agencies through QED-C, bringing experience in technology policy and research partnerships to the practical development of the quantum industry.

QED-C / SRI

Executive Director, Quantum Economic Development Consortium

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Why included? 2 sources

Merzbacher represents the institutional work required to turn scientific capability into a functioning industry. SRI identifies her responsibility for building QED-C and managing the consortium. That role connects organizations whose needs span technology development, suppliers and deployment. Her earlier science-policy work provides relevant context: she oversaw coordination of the National Nanotechnology Initiative at the White House. Her inclusion recognizes ecosystem leadership, with no attribution of individual hardware inventions or standardized technical results.

Industry & commercializationPolicy & institutions

Documented work base: United States

Identification checked Explore the contributions and sources
About these checks

Linked sources support selected statements in each profile. Research sources include papers and preprints. A source count is not a ranking or a quality score.

The identification check date relates to the recorded professional description. Individual sources have their own check dates. The fixed 2026 selection stays separate from later profile corrections.

THE EDITORIAL VIEW

Why these people.
Why this field.

Quantum computing is shaped by more than headline breakthroughs. Progress also depends on the people who establish its limits, make its systems more reliable and turn difficult ideas into tools others can use.

The QubitWire 100 recognizes contributions across that work. Each profile explains what is being recognized and connects the account to its supporting evidence.

View the permanent 2026 record