Suffolk Reporter

Stony Brook University is spearheading a new initiative funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) to advance Quantum Information Science and Technology in the United States. This project is among the first five under the NSF's National Quantum Virtual Laboratory (NQVL) program, each receiving $1 million in funding. The Stony Brook-led project collaborates with Columbia University, Yale University, and the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Research in quantum computing and networks aims to develop a quantum internet, integrating quantum computers, sensors, and communication devices to create, process, and transmit quantum states and entanglement. This emerging technology is anticipated to enhance the current internet system by providing services and securities not presently available.

The project, titled "Wide-Area Quantum Network to Demonstrate Quantum Advantage (SCY-QNet)," involves building a long-distance 10-node quantum network to demonstrate quantum advantage through communication and distributed processing. This would enable secure and privacy-preserving long-distance communication systems.

"This project has the potential to boost the scaling of quantum computing systems via quantum networks, forming a first version of the Quantum Internet," stated Eden Figueroa, PhD, Principal Investigator at Stony Brook University and Director of the Center for Distributed Quantum Processing. Figueroa holds a joint appointment with BNL.

"To realize this ambitious vision, we have assembled a team of leading quantum physicists, electrical engineers, and computer scientists in the region," added Figueroa.

"We are thrilled to have received this inaugural award from the National Science Foundation alongside our partner universities," said Nina Maung, Senior Associate VP for Research Development and Partnerships at Stony Brook University. "It represents the considerable efforts each institution has dedicated to re-envisioning the future of quantum information science research."

Figueroa noted that the project will advance science and cultivate a workforce ready for developments in quantum technology.

For further details on this project or its collaborators, refer to Stony Brook University's news story or visit NSF's newsroom for more about NQVL's pilot projects.