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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 selection3 of 100 people

Jump to surname

F

1 person

Akira Furusawa

An experimental quantum-optics researcher whose collaborative work spans continuous-variable teleportation and large optical cluster states, advancing routes to information processing with light.

RIKEN

Team Director, Optical Quantum Computing Research Team

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Why included? 2 sources

Furusawa’s research explores how light can carry and process quantum information. His coauthored teleportation experiment demonstrated a central communication primitive for continuous-variable optical systems. Later work generated a two-dimensional cluster state using light arranged across time bins. These contributions connect individual quantum operations with the structured entanglement needed for a broader computing architecture, making his work a useful entry point into the possibilities and engineering challenges of photonic computation.

FoundationsQuantum networks
2 linked sources · 1 research source

Documented work base: Japan

Identification checked Explore the contributions and sources

N

2 people

Yasunobu Nakamura

Helped demonstrate coherent control in an early superconducting qubit and now leads RIKEN’s quantum-computing center, connecting circuit physics with the development of working quantum systems.

RIKEN

Director, RIKEN Center for Quantum Computing

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Why included? 2 sources

Nakamura’s 1999 experiment made a superconducting electrical device function as a coherently controlled two-level quantum system. That result is a concrete foundation for the superconducting route pursued by many current processors. His present RIKEN role adds a second contribution: directing a center that builds and studies actual quantum computers across multiple approaches. These are distinct forms of influence, experimental demonstration and research organization. The record does not attribute every RIKEN system or performance result to him individually.

Quantum hardwareControl & measurement
2 linked sources · 1 research source

Documented work base: Japan

Identification checked Explore the contributions and sources

Hidetoshi Nishimori

Helped establish quantum annealing as an approach to optimization, using statistical physics to investigate how quantum fluctuations guide systems through difficult energy landscapes.

Institute of Science Tokyo

Professor; Head, Specialized Academy for Quantum Computing

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Why included? 3 sources

Nishimori connects quantum computation with the statistical mechanics of complex systems. His work with Tadashi Kadowaki introduced quantum annealing in a transverse-field Ising model, making quantum fluctuations a controllable ingredient in optimization. Later research with Yuya Seki investigated how changing those fluctuations can alter the phase transitions that obstruct an annealing process. These results provide concepts and testable models for an important computing approach. They do not establish a universal speedup over classical optimization methods.

Algorithms & complexityFoundations
3 linked sources · 2 research sources

Documented work base: Japan

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