SQMS

SQMS Center researchers have identified a new contribution to a qubit’s performance by probing and simulating several-atom-thick layers called silicides.

Scientists and engineers from around the world collaborate with Fermilab to develop state-of-the-art technologies and solve the mysteries of matter, energy, space and time. Here is a look at 10 ways they advanced science and technology this year.

To cool quantum computing components, researchers use machines called dilution refrigerators. Researchers and engineers from the SQMS Center are building Colossus, the largest, most powerful refrigerator at millikelvin temperatures ever made. The new machine will enable new physics and quantum computing experiments.

From Whitehouse.gov, Dec. 5, 2022: Last week the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy hosted the thirteen National Quantum Initiative and National Defense Authorization Act research centers to discuss the most pressing scientific and workforce challenges affecting quantum information science and the impacts and benefits of the field to society. Fermilab’s Sam Posen and Jens Koch attended the summit to present SQMS’s mission, major scientific impacts, as well their approaches to building multi-disciplinary research teams, engagement with industry, and education and outreach.

SQMS Center researchers have fabricated quantum devices to evaluate the effect of different materials on qubit performance, thanks to proximity to the Pritzker Nanofabrication Facility.

Koch has assumed the leadership role previously held by Jim Sauls, who will remain active at SQMS.

Grassellino received a 2023 New Horizons in Physics Prize as a researcher for her work and impact in the particle accelerator technology and quantum science fields.

From Semiconducting Engineering, September 12, 2022: How do you extend the lifespan of qubits? Researchers at the Supercomputing Quantum Materials and Systems Center say silicon limits the lifespan of qubits because of quantum decoherence. Fermilab’s Alexander Romanenko discusses recently published research on how individual sub-components contribute to the decoherence of the qubits. Could sapphire be a better choice for future quantum chips?

Scientists at the SQMS Center have directly probed silicon’s impact on the lifespan of superconducting qubits. The uniquely sensitive measurement helped researchers quantify how the material impacts qubit performance.

The centers are a collective force for quantum information science in the United States, driving scientific innovation, building a quantum ecosystem and fostering the future quantum workforce.