DOE Announces $625 Million to Advance National Quantum Information Science Research Centers

The mission of the Department of Energy is to ensure America's security and prosperity by addressing its energy, environmental, and nuclear challenges through transformative science and technology solutions. In September, 2022, Research supported by ASCR demonstrated that classical machine learning algorithms can accurately predict ground state properties and classify quantum phases of matter using data generated from quantum experiments. In November, 2022, Research supported by Q-NEXT revealed that the performance of a sensor network is constrained by the intrinsic noise associated with the quantum states used in the network. In March, 2023, Research funded by DOE SC NP achieved the first experimental observation of entanglement between dissimilar particles, specifically positive and negative pions. In August, 2023, Research funded by DOE SC BER demonstrated strong preservation of entanglement in a two-photon absorption process involving organic molecules, offering a new approach for developing quantum light-based spectroscopy and microscopy.

Brookhaven National Laboratory is executing a cross-disciplinary strategy to harness quantum effects in physics for advanced computing, communications, and fundamental science. The laboratory is applying its expertise in quantum technologies to overcome the current limitations of scientific experiments and measurements, integrating new quantum capabilities and instruments into its existing facilities. Some of the projects include the Quantum Material Press, quantum telescopes and astrometry, quantum LIDAR, and a quantum-enhanced microscope. Brookhaven Lab and Stony Brook University are working together to bring the vision of a quantum internet into reality, enabling completely secure communications online. The team has built the Nation’s longest quantum network, which spans 98 miles and connects the institutions’ two campuses. Researchers at Brookhaven are also developing a quantum repeater prototype to ultimately connect the Lab to New York City. The Computational Science Initiative (CSI) at Brookhaven Lab has a Quantum Computing Group (QCG) that addresses Quantum Information Science research challenges. The Brookhaven National Laboratory Quantum Network Facility is an experimental facility open to the user community, and experimental opportunities are focused on the development of foundational quantum devices, including entanglement. Brookhaven National Laboratory leads the Co-design Center for Quantum Advantage (C2QA), which is building the tools necessary to create scalable, distributed, and fault-tolerant quantum computer systems. The center is working toward quantum advantage in computations for high-energy and nuclear physics, chemistry, materials science, condensed matter physics, and other fields. The C2QA Quantum Computing Summer School is a virtual six-week tutorial program introducing college students to the Co-design Center for Quantum Advantage. .

Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, located just outside Batavia, Illinois, near Chicago, is a United States Department of Energy national laboratory specializing in high-energy particle physics. Fermilab's QICK box, an integrated system for quantum control, simplifies and enhances quantum research by consolidating hardware like FPGA boards, amplifiers, and filters into a compact, modular package. Building on the original Quantum Instrumentation Control Kit, the QICK box improves signal-to-noise ratios and qubit control, offering scalability and adaptability for evolving experiments. Developed with collaborators like Yale and the University of Chicago, it has become a widely adopted tool with over 350 users, aiding scientists in advancing quantum information science.

Argonne National Laboratory, one of the U.S. Department of Energy's national laboratories for science and engineering research, employs 3,400 employees, including 1,400 scientists and engineers, three-quarters of whom hold doctoral degrees. Argonne's annual operating budget of around $1 billion supports upwards of 200 research projects. Since 1990, Argonne has worked with more than 600 companies and numerous federal agencies and other organizations. The Lab has successfully launched its own Quantum Foundry to accelerate quantum information research.

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, operating under the U.S. Department of Energy, spearheads unclassified scientific research pivotal to climate technology. Their innovative work includes developing advanced energy-efficient technologies, renewable energy solutions, and cutting-edge climate modeling tools. These efforts are crucial in mitigating climate change, enhancing energy sustainability, and informing policy decisions to foster a resilient, low-carbon future.

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Quantum Computing Institute is a lab-wide collaboration that promotes the use of theory, computation, and experiment in the research and development of quantum computing for scientific applications of next-generation computer systems. The lab has various partnerships across the quantum ecosystem with major players such as IonQ, the EU Quantum Flagship and GENCI project, Qubitekk, Aliro Quantum, and many more.