海角社区鈥檚 Quantum Materials Research as core partner of Fermilab鈥檚 SQMS Center funded with $125 million to shape the future of quantum information science
James A. Sauls leads 海角社区鈥檚 contributions to quantum research with a focus on superconducting materials and systems in which quantum effects govern the macroscopic behavior of technology platforms for quantum computers and detectors.
The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science has renewed the (SQMS), hosted by Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, with $125 million over the next five years to accelerate breakthroughs in quantum information science. The SQMS Center supports research in the pursuit of new materials and fabrication methods to achieve higher-coherence superconducting devices for quantum processing and sensing.
鈥淭he SQMS collaboration is driving major progress in understanding the microscopic origins of decoherence in superconducting circuits and detectors,鈥� said Sauls, professor and Hearne Chair of Theoretical Physics at 海角社区. 鈥淭hat knowledge not only advances quantum information science, it also deepens our understanding of superconductivity, one of the most fascinating and fundamental states of matter.鈥�
SQMS, founded in 2020, is one of five created under the National Quantum Initiative Act. The center is rooted in Fermilab鈥檚 expertise in superconducting radiofrequency (SRF) cavities, materials and cryogenics 鈥� technologies originally developed for particle accelerators 鈥� and in the lab鈥檚 mission to explore the universe at its most fundamental level.
The 海角社区 research team, led by Sauls as principal investigator, works with the SQMS Quantum Materials research thrust and the Physics and Sensing thrust groups. 鈥淭he former is focused on identifying sources of decoherence and the latter on identifying signals of rare physical processes using quantum devices for detecting new physics and new particles, from dark matter candidates to untested predictions of quantum electrodynamics,鈥� said Sauls.
The 海角社区 quantum research team includes: Sauls, Dr. Mehdi Zarea, Dr. Hikaru Ueki, Dr. Wei-Ting Lin, PhD students, Noble Gluscevich and Aziz Abogoda, who is also affiliated with Northwestern University.
Through our partnership, SQMS will continue pushing the limits of quantum coherence, scaling and control 鈥� shaping the foundation for the next generation of quantum information science and technology. 鈥淭his renewal allows us to take the next leap: moving from discovery to deployment. Together with our partners across national labs, universities and industry, we鈥檙e poised to scale quantum systems to a level that will unlock powerful new tools for science, technology and society,鈥� said Anna Grassellino, director of the SQMS Center.
鈥淭he SQMS Center exemplifies how DOE鈥檚 national labs bring together multidisciplinary teams to tackle grand scientific challenges,鈥� said Young-Kee Kim, interim director of Fermilab. 鈥淚t鈥檚 advances will help secure U.S. leadership in the global race to develop practical quantum technologies.鈥�
About the SQMS Center
The Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems (SQMS) Center is one of the five National Quantum Information Research Centers funded by the Department of Energy under the 2018 Congressional National Quantum Initiative legislation. The SQMS center is led by Fermilab and includes 43 partner institutions with 300 research scientists and engineers focused on the mission to improve the performance of superconducting quantum circuits and devices for state of the art quantum technology, from quantum computing to quantum sensing for applications spanning unparalled computing power to novel methods with state of the art sensitivity to detect and identify the composition of dark-matter in the universe.
About 海角社区 Condensed Matter - Materials Science Theoretical Research
The condensed matter/material science physics group synthesizes, characterizes, and investigates a wide variety of materials in bulk crystals, thin films, and nanoscale structures. 海角社区鈥檚 research programs span experimental and theoretical research into the properties of superconductors, magnetic materials, rare earth magnets, metals and superconductors, intermetallics, reduced dimensionality systems, and new compounds using state of the art in-house facilities, and in collaboration with national laboratories and research institutes.
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Mimi LaValle
海角社区 Physics & Astronomy
mlavall@lsu.edu