In the burgeoning field of quantum science, the Quantum Science Center (QSC) has been making strides and preparing to push forward into the next era of its research. Travis Humble, the director of QSC, underscored the importance of this juncture, stating in a meeting last month, "This is the time to review our accomplishments and plan for our future." Information on his remarks was obtained from a report by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).
The center, which is a collaborative effort involving government, academia, and industry, was brought into existence as a part of the National Quantum Initiative. It has since thrived, overcoming early hurdles such as the limits placed on cross-disciplinary work by the global pandemic, and has not only met but, in many areas, surpassed its initiatives. One key outcome has been the Quantum Instrumentation Control Kit (QICK), widely adopted within quantum research circles and which, as Aaron S. Chou of Fermilab's Quantum Division says, has garnered a base of "about a new group" of users monthly, crossing academic and industry boundaries.
Chou's comments relating to the proliferation of QICK users were reported by ORNL's news release, highlighting the tool's significance and the broader accomplishments within the center's 'thrust' areas of quantum materials, algorithms, and sensors. These milestones were a focal point of the all-hands meeting, an event aimed to facilitate face-to-face knowledge dissemination and future strategizing among the center's diverse and geographically dispersed members.
Looking ahead, QSC is preparing a proposal to secure its operation into the next decade. "[Our job is] to address the key scientific challenges of quantum technology — robustness, scalability and accuracy — and to define what multiplier QSC provides to each of these," Humble told on the ORNL's news release, highlighting the challenge that lies before them. QSC's renewal bid, to be submitted in June, will compile successes and future plans in anticipation of Department of Energy's (DOE) funding decisions expected later in August.
The work of QSC extends far and wide, with research activities spearheaded at national laboratories, universities, and in industry, striving to resolve seminal issues such as quantum state resilience and scalability. Its contributions poise the center as a crucial player in the quantum revolution, impacting areas from information processing to quantum material understanding and dark matter detection. More details about QSC's research and goals can be found on ORNL's website, which serves as an informative conduit to the center's endeavors.
