Skip to content
QubitWire

2026 SELECTION

QubitWire 100

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

About the selection

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

Browse by topic
Filter this list by topicError correctionNeutral atomsQuantum networksAlgorithmsFoundations
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

Jump to surname

E

1 person

Artur Ekert

A quantum-information physicist whose entanglement-based cryptography proposal connected secure communication with Bell’s theorem, alongside institution-building work at Singapore’s Centre for Quantum Technologies.

University of Oxford

Professor of Quantum Physics

Read profile
Why included? 3 sources

Ekert’s work helped make entanglement useful as a resource for communication. His 1991 proposal linked quantum key distribution to Bell’s theorem, giving a new way to reason about the security of shared keys. His role as founding director of the Centre for Quantum Technologies also contributed to the field’s research capacity. The combination illustrates how a foundational idea can shape a technical discipline and the institutions that support its development.

Quantum cryptographyFoundations
3 linked sources · 1 research source

Documented work base: United Kingdom

Identification checked Explore the contributions and sources

G

1 person

Nicolas Gisin

A physicist whose work connects quantum foundations, optical communication and commercial quantum security, including research synthesis and the cofounding of ID Quantique.

University of Geneva

Professor Emeritus of Physics

Read profile
Why included? 3 sources

Gisin’s career connects optical-fiber engineering with questions about quantum correlations and secure communication. His Geneva group pursued quantum cryptography and long-distance entanglement, and he coauthored a substantial review that brought theoretical and experimental aspects of quantum cryptography together. He also cofounded ID Quantique. The combination makes his contribution relevant to readers exploring how a quantum-information idea moves between foundational research, laboratory systems and a commercial security product.

Quantum cryptographyQuantum networks
3 linked sources · 1 research source
Identification checked Explore the contributions and sources

M

1 person

Michele Mosca

Works across quantum algorithms and quantum-safe security, combining foundational results in information processing with programs that help organizations prepare cryptographic systems for future quantum capabilities.

University of Waterloo

Professor, Combinatorics and Optimization

Read profile
Why included? 2 sources

Mosca’s work connects the capabilities of quantum computers with the security transition those capabilities motivate. His research on private quantum channels specifies how classical keys can protect quantum information. At Waterloo, he also helped create programs and industry connections for quantum-safe cryptography, including CryptoWorks21 and evolutionQ. That combination matters because technical security results and real-world migration solve different parts of the same problem. Inclusion recognizes both research and institution building, without predicting when encryption-breaking quantum computers will become available.

Algorithms & complexityQuantum cryptography
2 linked sources · 1 research source

Documented work base: Canada

Identification checked Explore the contributions and sources

W

1 person

Stephanie Wehner

Develops the computer-science foundations of quantum networks, linking entanglement distribution and quantum communication to software that can run applications on connected quantum processors.

Delft University of Technology / QuTech

Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Professor; Director, Quantum Internet Alliance

Read profile
Why included? 4 sources

Wehner works on making quantum networks programmable. Her research extends from communication and cryptography to the operating systems and architectures that coordinate quantum processors, classical messages and limited quantum memory. That systems perspective matters because connecting two devices does not automatically make a usable network. Her contribution combines a research agenda for a quantum internet with demonstrated application software, including collaborative work on an operating system tested on real quantum network nodes.

Quantum networksQuantum software
4 linked sources · 1 research source

Documented work base: Netherlands

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