Northwestern is key partner in $115 million national center to build revolutionary quantum computer
The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory has been selected to lead one of five national centers to bring about transformational advances in quantum information science (QIS) as a part of the U.S. National Quantum Initiative (NQI), the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the National Science Foundation and DOE announced today (Aug. 26). Northwestern University is a major partner in the new center.
The initiative provides the new Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Center (SQMS)with a planned $115 million from the DOE over five years with the goal of building and deploying a beyond-state-of-the-art quantum computer based on superconducting technologies. The research will focus on breakthroughs important for medicine, life sciences, national security and more. The center also will develop new quantum sensors that could lead to the discovery of the nature of dark matter and other elusive subatomic particles.
Anna Grassellino of Fermilab, who also has a joint appointment at Northwestern as a faculty member in the department of physics and astronomy, will be the center’s director. James Sauls, professor of physics at Northwestern, will be the center’s deputy director.
Seventeen Northwestern faculty members with deep expertise in quantum science are affiliated with the center. They have interdisciplinary knowledge in areas vital for advancing quantum science, including atomic and optical physics, materials science, data science, superconducting technologies and theoretical physics.
“The breadth of the SQMS physics, materials science, device fabrication and characterization technology combined with our expertise in large-scale integration capabilities is unprecedented for superconducting quantum science and technology,” said Sauls, who serves on the executive committee of the University’s quantum information research and engineering initiative (INQUIRE). “As part of the network of National Quantum Initiative centers, SQMS will contribute to U.S. leadership in quantum science for years to come.”
Read more at Northwestern Now
Northwestern faculty involved with the SQMS Center
Physics and Astronomy:
Venkat Chandrasekhar SQMS Quantum Materials and Devices Focus Areas
Michelle Driscoll SQMS Quantum Workforce development Focus Area lead
Gerald Gabrielse SQMS Quantum Sensing Focus Area co-lead
Andrew Geraci SQMS Quantum Sensing Focus Area
Tim Kovachy SQMS Quantum Sensing Focus Area
William Halperin SQMS Quantum Materials and Devices Focus Area
Jens Koch SQMS Quantum Devices Focus Area co-lead
James Sauls SQMS Deputy Director, NU PI and co-Director CAPST
Materials Science:
Peter Voorhees SQMS Quantum Materials Focus Area
David Seidman SQMS Quantum Materials Focus Area
Mark Hersam SQMS Quantum Materials Focus Area co-lead
Michael Bedzyk SQMS Quantum Materials Focus Area
Vinayak Dravid SQMS Quantum Materials Focus Area
James Rondinelli SQMS Quantum Materials Focus Area
Electrical and Computer Engineering:
Matthew Grayson SQMS Quantum Devices Focus Area
Prem Kumar SQMS Quantum Devices Focus Area (joint in Physics)
Selim Shahriar SQMS Quantum Devices Focus Area (joint in Physics)
Fermi National Laboratory Joint with Northwestern:
Anna Grassellino SQMS Center Director & PI, Co-Director CAPST with a faculty appointment in Physics
Alex Romanenko SQMS Quantum Technology Thrust Lead, CAPST with a faculty appointment in Physics