Northwestern is prominent partner in $115 million national center to build cutting-edge quantum computer

SQMS Director Anna Grassellino and Deputy Director James Sauls hold a superconducting radio-frequency cavity inside the Material Science Lab at the Department of Energy’s Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. Credit: Reidar Hahn, Fermilab

Seventeen Northwestern faculty members including faculty from the department of physics and astronomy in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences will be part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s  Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Center (SQMS) . This center, part of a $115,000,000 investment by the U.S. National Quantum Initiative (NQI) will comprise nationwide experts in quantum science.

James Sauls, professor of physics at Northwestern, will be the deputy director of the center. He and the other Northwestern faculty have interdisciplinary knowledge in areas essential for advancing quantum science, including materials science, atomic and optical physics, data science, superconducting technologies, and theoretical physics.

“The breadth of the SQMS physics, materials science, device fabrication and characterization technology combined with our expertise in large-scale integration capabilities is unprecedented for superconducting quantum science and technology. As part of the network of National Quantum Initiative centers, SQMS will contribute to U.S. leadership in quantum science for years to come,” said Professor James Sauls.

 

 

To learn more about the Northwestern faculty involved in the quantum computer project, see the Northwestern Now article Northwestern is key partner in $115 million national center to build revolutionary quantum computer.