About Q-NEXT

Toward breakthroughs in quantum technology

Q-NEXT is establishing the science and technology for the networked quantum information processing of the future. Led by Argonne National Laboratory in partnership with SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Q-NEXT is a U.S. Department of Energy National Quantum Information Science Research Center that unites leaders at two national laboratories, 11 universities and six technology companies.

Leveraging its partners’ respective strengths and capabilities, Q-NEXT is building entanglement-enabled technologies to connect the world through quantum information.

Mission

Q-NEXT’s mission is to leverage distributed entanglement to demonstrate the breakthrough potential for scalable quantum-technology platforms. To that end, Q-NEXT is:

  • Advancing the science needed to share entangled states of matter over short, medium and long distances.
  • Demonstrating that entanglement can be wielded for breakthrough technologies in information processing, surpassing the performance of today’s most advanced communication systems and detection devices.
  • Building entanglement-enhanced technologies, such as interconnected sensors for medicine and navigation and next-generation prototypes for secure communication.
  • Leading the creation and curation of knowledge in artificial intelligence and machine learning needed to undergird the development of the nation’s future quantum information systems.

Who we are

Established in 2020, Q-NEXT brings together roughly 80 researchers at two national labs, 11 universities and six leading technology companies across nine states.

Q-NEXT collaborators are leaders in the physics and chemistry of quantum systems, materials processing and device design, and algorithms and programming.

Center research focuses on photonic integration, semiconducting systems, atom-like systems, superconducting devices, and information processing. Together, these areas span fundamental science, devices, systems, prototypes, and applications.

Q-NEXT leverages national quantum foundries, nanoscience centers, light sources and supercomputing facilities to contribute valuable insights and greater understanding to the performance qubit materials and systems.

Impacts

Q-NEXT is positioning the United States as the international leader in scalable, entanglement-enabled technologies, making impacts in both R&D and the quantum ecosystem.

  • In 2023, Q-NEXT launched two national quantum foundries. With in-house, full-stack capabilities, the Argonne Quantum Foundry and SLAC Superconducting Quantum Foundry contribute to a robust domestic supply chain for quantum systems. The foundries can accomplish in days what previously required months, given sourcing from multiple countries and vendors.
  • The center worked with Intel to build the first full-stack, solid-state-qubit testbed at a national lab: the Chicago Quantum Computing Testbed. Scientists are using it to test industry-developed quantum processors based on quantum dots.
  • In 2022, Q-NEXT published a national roadmap for developing quantum networks. A collaborative effort, the report was authored by 39 researchers at 15 institutions. It outlines the discoveries needed for distributing quantum information on a 10- to 15-year timescale.
  • Q-NEXT is contributing to the training of 150 students and postdocs — and counting – in quantum information science and engineering, growing the next-generation workforce.