August 5, 2024, Science Highlights

Two molecular qubits for quantum sensing

Coherent spin-control of S = 1 vanadium and molybdenum complexes

Chemical Science (2024)

Previously, a research team supported by Q-NEXT developed molecular qubits with a quantum state centered on a chromium (Cr4+) ion that could interact with light — a qubit type that is expected to be useful for quantum sensing.

In this paper, a research team explores two similar ions — vanadium (V3+) and molybdenum (Mo4+) — to learn if they could offer advantages for quantum sensing.

The research team found that vanadium (V3+) and molybdenum (Mo4+) in specific states could be controlled effectively. But unlike their chromium (Cr4+) cousin, the two molecules did not emit light when excited. Results suggest that the structure of these molecules could be modified to enable light emission.

The researchers outline molecular design features suited to quantum sensing applications using vanadium- or molybdenum-based systems.

The study was conducted by Daniel Laorenza, Kathleen Mullin, Leah Weiss, Sam Bayliss, Pratiti Deb, David Awschalom, James M. Rondinelli and Danna Freedman, who did their work at MIT, Northwestern University, the University of Chicago, Tohoku University, the University of Glasgow and Argonne National Laboratory.

September 9, 2026, News and Features
David Awschalom wins global Breakthrough of the Year award

David Awschalom, Q-NEXT Chief Science Officer and the Liew Family Professor of Quantum Engineering and Physics at the University of Chicago, received the prestigious Falling Walls Science Breakthrough of the Year in Physical Sciences for a pioneering body of work that broke the wall between quantum technology, molecules, and proteins. Read More
September 8, 2026, News and Features
Helium lifts new quantum computing concept

A team led by Jacob Covey, who is part of Q-NEXT and is an Associate Professor at the University of Chicago, laid out a new concept that could turn helium’s light weight into the next generation of quantum computers. The design relies on helium-3, an isotope with different quantum properties than the helium-4 used to cool MRI machines and fill party balloons. Once built, the computer could use high-powered lasers as “optical tweezers” to capture and control individual atoms of helium. Read More
September 8, 2026, News and Features
Researchers make materials that support quantum technology

Researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who are part of Q-NEXT are engineering material systems that support quantum technology. Chris Anderson and his team are developing materials for quantum transduction — the conversion of quantum information from one form to another. Elizabeth Goldschmidt, Daniel Shoemaker, and colleagues are developing quantum memory technology that stores quantum information for extended periods of time. Read More
September 1, 2026, Science Highlights
Silicon Chip Offers New Way to Probe Quantum Materials in Strong Magnetic Fields

Scientists have created a silicon chip that can detect the electrical behavior of very small materials by using very high-frequency waves. The chip is made only from silicon and other non-superconducting materials and still performs very well when cooled from room temperature down to about 4 Kelvin. Read More
August 21, 2026, Science Highlights
Making quantum bits ready to use again much sooner

Scientists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Intel have found that a simple electrical pulse can quickly push a quantum dot qubit out of a latched state and return it to its starting condition with very high reliability. Read More
August 18, 2026, News and Features
Q-NEXT-developed open-source software receives 2026 R&D 100 award

SeQUeNCe, a free, open-source software developed by Argonne scientists with Q-NEXT support, is one of seven Argonne projects that received a 2026 R&D 100 Award. The SeQUeNCe software lets researchers test how quantum networks might work before building them. Read More
August 11, 2026, News and Features
Researchers generate spontaneous magnons that synchronize with external signals

Researchers at Argonne and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign demonstrate a method for generating stable ripples in magnetic materials called magnons. The work opens avenues for information processing in microelectronics and quantum devices. Read More
August 4, 2026, In the News
Uncovering the hidden disorder in silicon quantum computers

From the U.S. Department of Energy: Q-NEXT researchers map the variation in materials to the atom level to scale up silicon qubits Read More
July 28, 2026, Science Highlights
Color centers in high-purity diamond

Researchers mapped how electron irradiation makes defects inside diamond, finding that creating more vacancies does not always produce more NV centers. Too many vacancies can form unwanted defects. This result can inform advances in quantum sensing. Read More
July 13, 2026, News and Features
Containing multitudes: SLAC scientist collaborates to create scalable qubits

At SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Q-NEXT collaborator Shannon Harvey develops quantum dots — a mass-producible type of qubit. Driven by curiosity about nature and how things work, Harvey draws on her facility for working at the nanoscale. Read More