DOE National QIS Research Centers

U.S. leadership in quantum technology

The five U.S. DOE National Quantum Information Science Research Centers ensure national leadership in quantum information science and technology. Each plays a unique role in advancing the science of quantum information. Together, they promise transformational advances in the development of quantum systems.

Q-NEXT is one of five U.S. Department of Energy National Quantum Information Science (QIS) Research Centers, which constitute the first large-scale QIS effort that crosses the technical breadth of the DOE Office of Science.

The national quantum ecosystem promises transformational advances in the development of quantum systems. Each of the five DOE centers plays a unique role in advancing the science of quantum information, each complementing the others’ work.

The aim of the centers, coupled with DOE’s core research portfolio, is to create and to steward the ecosystem needed to foster and facilitate advancement of QIS, with major anticipated national impact on national security, economic competitiveness and America’s continued leadership in science.

Led by a DOE national laboratory, each center incorporates a collaborative research team of labs, universities, and private companies that span multiple scientific and engineering disciplines. In addition, each center seamlessly integrates the science and technology innovation chain to accelerate progress in QIS research and development, to facilitate technology transfer, and to build the quantum workforce of the future.

Together, the five centers are developing technologies that go beyond what was previously imaginable.

To learn more about the DOE NQISRCs, visit the joint website, or view the National QIS Center brochure.

Co-design Center for Quantum Advantage

Director: Charles Black
Lead institution: Brookhaven National Laboratory

C2QA aims to overcome the limitations of today’s noisy intermediate scale quantum (NISQ) computer systems to achieve quantum advantage for scientific computations in high-energy, nuclear, chemical and condensed matter physics. The integrated five-year goal of C2QA is to deliver a factor-of-10 improvement in each of software optimization, underlying materials and device properties, and quantum error correction, and to ensure these improvements combine to provide a factor of 1,000 improvement in appropriate computation metrics.

Q-NEXT

Director: Martin Holt
Lead institution: Argonne National Laboratory

Q-NEXT is a U.S. Department of Energy National Quantum Information Science Research Center led by Argonne National Laboratory. The center brings together world-class researchers from national laboratories, universities and technology companies with the goal of developing the science and technology to control and distribute quantum information. Q-NEXT develops networks of sensors and secure communications systems, creates materials for scalable quantum devices, and trains the next-generation quantum-ready workforce to ensure continued U.S. scientific and economic leadership in the rapidly advancing field of quantum information science. Visit https://q-next.org/.

Quantum Science Center

Director: Travis Humble
Lead institution: Oak Ridge National Laboratory

QSC is dedicated to overcoming key roadblocks in quantum state resilience, controllability, and ultimately scalability of quantum technologies. This goal will be achieved through integration of the discovery, design, and demonstration of revolutionary topological quantum materials, algorithms, and sensors, catalyzing development of disruptive technologies. In addition to the scientific goals, integral to the activities of the QSC are development of the next generation of QIS workforce by creating a rich environment for professional development and close coordination with industry to transition new QIS applications to the private sector.

Quantum Systems Accelerator

Director: Bert de Jong
Lead institution: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

QSA will catalyze national leadership in quantum information science to co-design the algorithms, quantum devices, and engineering solutions needed to deliver certified quantum advantage in scientific applications. QSA brings together dozens of scientists who are pioneers of many of today’s unique quantum engineering and fabrication capabilities.

Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Center

Director: Anna Grassellino
Lead institution: Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory

The primary mission of SQMS is to achieve transformational advances in the major crosscutting challenge of understanding and eliminating the decoherence mechanisms in superconducting 2D and 3D devices, with the goal of enabling construction and deployment of superior quantum systems for computing and sensing. In addition to the scientific advances, SQMS will target tangible deliverables in the form of unique foundry capabilities and quantum testbeds for materials, physics, algorithms, and simulations that could broadly serve the national QIS ecosystem.