The Department of Energy has selected Oak Ridge National Laboratory to lead a collaboration charged with developing quantum technologies that will usher in a new era of innovation.
From computers exponentially more powerful than today’s leading systems to sensors with unprecedented precision, quantum technologies promise to greatly increase understanding of the world and, by extension, fundamentally transform it.
The Quantum Science Center, led by ORNL, will receive $115 million over five years from DOE’s Office of Science to realize the potential of topological quantum materials for manipulating, transferring and storing quantum information. Quantum materials exhibit exotic properties under specific conditions, and the center will transition this knowledge to the private sector for use in practical applications such as quantum computers and sensors.
The center supports the National Quantum Initiative Act of 2018 by enhancing America’s national security and retaining its global leadership in scientific research and development — goals that require broad expertise and capabilities.
“We pulled together a fantastic team from four national laboratories, three industry partners and nine universities to overcome key roadblocks in quantum state resilience, controllability and ultimately scalability of quantum technologies,” QSC Director and ORNL physicist David Dean said. “We are prepared to catalyze quantum materials, computing and devices research to significantly impact the national quantum ecosystem.”
“Our scientific goals rely on a co-design process to maximize the impact and readiness of new quantum devices, quantum simulations and quantum sensors within the next five years,” said Travis Humble, QSC deputy director and head of the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility’s Quantum User Program. “We have prioritized engagement with U.S. industry to identify near-term opportunities to develop quantum technologies that will ensure long-term economic competitiveness.”