Suffolk Reporter

Since their inception in 2020, the U.S. Department of Energy's National Quantum Information Science Research Centers (NQISRCs) have been pushing the boundaries of quantum computing, communication, sensing, and materials. These centers aim to advance basic science for energy, security, communication, and logistics while also strengthening the national quantum information science ecosystem.

Each center is led by a DOE national laboratory and consists of a collaborative team from various scientific and engineering disciplines. This collaboration includes national laboratories, universities, and tech companies working together to solve significant challenges in QIS.

The five centers unite over 1,500 experts across 115 institutions in North America and Europe. They include:

- Co-design Center for Quantum Advantage (C2QA), led by Brookhaven National Laboratory

- Q-NEXT, led by Argonne National Laboratory

- Quantum Science Center (QSC), led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory

- Quantum Systems Accelerator (QSA), led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

- Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Center (SQMS), led by Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory

Over four years of operation, these centers have made notable advancements in QIS:

- Enhanced understanding of quantum device physics.

- Improved performance levels of quantum devices through innovative materials science.

- Built new quantum processors and sensors at DOE labs.

- Developed algorithms for data processing on novel quantum devices.

- Established facilities for characterizing quantum devices.

They have trained more than 1,000 students through summer schools and internships and launched the U.S. Quantum Information Science Summer School to grow a skilled workforce. The virtual Quantum Information Science Career Fair connected over 1,600 job seekers with potential employers.

In fall 2024, around 200 experts gathered to review progress and discuss future goals for QIS development. Harriet Kung from the Department of Energy commented on their achievements: "As we mark four years of extraordinary progress... Their groundbreaking work in quantum computing... is shaping the future of technology."

The C2QA aims to overcome limitations in current quantum systems with co-designed materials and software. More than 350 researchers collaborate here to achieve scientific computations' quantum advantage.

Q-NEXT focuses on controlling and distributing quantum information with two national foundries established for this purpose. It aims to maintain U.S. leadership in this field through partnerships between laboratories, universities, and tech companies.

The QSC tackles roadblocks like state resilience in scalable technologies while designing materials that enable topological computing.

The QSA works towards delivering certified quantum advantages with collaborations among several institutions including MIT Lincoln Laboratory and UC Berkeley.

Lastly, SQMS at Fermilab leverages expertise from building particle accelerators to engineer multiqubit platforms based on superconducting technologies alongside industry partners.