News and Features
-
In novel quantum computer design, qubits use magnets to selectively communicate
Researchers have begun to use magnets to entangle qubits, the building blocks of quantum computers; the simple technique could unlock complex capabilities. Read More
-
A promising pairing: Scientists demonstrate new combination of materials for quantum science
Diamond and lithium niobate are often touted as high-performance quantum materials. Now scientists have combined the two materials as a single quantum device. In a study reported in ACS Photonics, researchers sent light from the diamond to the lithium niobate and measured the fraction of light that successfully made it across. The result: An extraordinary 92% of the light made the jump from diamond to lithium niobate. Read More
-
Researchers invent new way to stretch diamond for better quantum bits
A team of researchers at the University of Chicago, Argonne National Laboratory and Cambridge University have announced a breakthrough in quantum network engineering: By “stretching” thin films of diamond, they created quantum bits that can operate with significantly reduced equipment and expense. The change also makes the bits easier to control. The researchers hope the findings, published Nov. 29 in Physical Review X, can make future quantum networks more feasible. Read More
-
Q&A with the 2023 Open Quantum Initiative fellows
Eight Open Quantum Initiative undergraduate fellows recently completed quantum research experiences that contributed to Q-NEXT R&D. In this Q&A, they share what they did this summer. Read More
-
Major milestone achieved in new quantum computing architecture
Argonne and partners attained a major milestone toward quantum computing based on single-electron qubits: nearly a thousand-fold increase in coherence time and a first demonstration of scale-up. Read More
-
Pushing the quantum frontier for finance: JPMorgan Chase’s Marco Pistoia
An institutional partner of the Q-NEXT quantum research center, JPMorgan Chase is advancing quantum technologies for the financial sector while collaborating with other organizations to push the quantum frontier for all. Read More
-
Simulations reveal the atomic-scale story of qubits
From the University of Chicago: Researchers led by Giulia Galli at the University of Chicago report a computational study that predicts the conditions to create specific spin defects in silicon carbide. Their findings, published online in Nature Communications, represent an important step towards identifying fabrication parameters for spin defects useful for quantum technologies. Read More
-
What is quantum squeezing?
The quantum squeezing technique brings greater precision to time keeping and astronomy. Read More
-
National QIS Research Centers to host virtual career fair
Participants will have the chance to build their professional networks, meet one-on-one with potential employers, and hear from experts in the field on Sept. 13. Read More
-
Chitambar group establishes criterion for nonlocal quantum behavior in networks
From the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign: In a study published in Physical Review Letters, Q-NEXT thrust lead Eric Chitambar and Amanda Gatto Lamas adapt techniques from quantum computing theory to create a new classification scheme for quantum nonlocality. This not only allowed the researchers to unify prior studies of the concept into a common framework, but it facilitated a proof that networked quantum systems can display nonlocality only if they possess a particular set of quantum features. Read More
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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