From The Wall Street Journal, July 23, 2020: The network, which uses quantum principles to more securely transmit data, could be functional in about a decade. Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Chicago established in February a quantum network of 52 miles’ worth of entangled photons running on unused telecom fiber in the Chicago suburbs. In about a year, the network is expected to be connected to Fermilab, creating an 80-mile quantum internet test bed.
Department of Energy
The U.S. Department of Energy unveils a report that lays out a blueprint strategy for the development of a national quantum internet, bringing the United States to the forefront of the global quantum race and ushering in a new era of communications. This report provides a pathway to ensure the development of the National Quantum Initiative Act.
From DOE, Dec. 11, 2019: Secretary Brouillette served in the U.S. Army and has three decades of experience in both the public and private sector, most recently as the deputy secretary of energy.
From DOE, Dec. 9, 2019: Fermilab scientist Josh Frieman writes about the search for the nature of dark energy at the national laboratories and how the Office of Science’s High Energy Physics program has been at the vanguard of a number of cosmic surveys.
From UChicago News, Oct. 18, 2019: The Department of Energy has honored University of Chicago scientists Josh Frieman, also of Fermilab, and Ian Foster, also of Argonne National Laboratory, for their transformative research and scientific leadership, selecting them as part of its inaugural Office of Science Distinguished Scientist Fellowship program. Frieman was listed for “pioneering advances in the science of dark energy and cosmic acceleration, including leading the Sloan Digital Sky Survey-II Supernova Survey, co-founding the Dark Energy Survey and service as its director.”
In their ongoing search for the mysterious dark matter that makes up 85% of our universe, the particle physics community turns its sights to particles of low mass. The Department of Energy announced that it is providing funding for two Fermilab initiatives to develop experimental designs for experiments that will be highly sensitive to the smallest particles of dark matter. Following the development of the experimental designs, the next phase of funding will be subject to additional reviews and approval.
The funding supports initiatives in the rapidly evolving field of quantum computing. Fermilab scientists and engineers are simulating advanced quantum devices that will in turn improve particle physics simulations. They’re also developing novel electronics to work with large arrays of ultracold qubits.
The award is designed to bolster the nation’s scientific workforce by providing support to exceptional researchers during the crucial early years, when many scientists do their most formative work.
The DOE Project Leadership Institute has recognized Lari and her capstone project teammates for for their outstanding case study analysis with the 2018 Capstone Project Award.
The U.S. Department of Energy has announced $75 million in funding for 66 university research awards on a range of topics in high-energy physics to advance knowledge of how the universe works at its most fundamental level. The projects involve scientists at 51 U.S. institutions of higher learning across the nation and include both experimental and theoretical research into such topics as the Higgs boson, neutrinos, dark matter, dark energy and the search for new physics.