Headlines
A new industry-grade 100 kV electron beam writer (EBPG5150plus) will be the only open-access system of its type in Colorado when operational. The device will improve research around quantum engineering and could be a game-changer for interdisciplinary materials and device research in the region.
The merger is addressing pressing needs in quantum research for CU Boulder spinout ColdQuanta—as well as the quantum industry. Both companies are affiliates of Q-NEXT, a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Quantum Information Science Research Center led by Argonne National Laboratory.
The “coherence” time of quantum systems is often measured in milliseconds. By implementing a new type of entangling operation based on Rydberg atoms, JILA Fellow Adam Kaufman and his team have created Bell states with high fidelity, demonstrating optical clock entanglement for up to four full seconds.
JILA Fellow Cindy Regal and her team, along with researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), have for the first time demonstrated that they can trap single atoms using a novel miniaturized version of “optical tweezers”—a system that grabs atoms using a laser beam as chopsticks.
As the DoD's most prestigious research award, the Vannevar Bush Fellowship is oriented towards "bold and ambitious ‘blue sky’ research that will lead to extraordinary outcomes." Fellows receive $3 million over a five-year fellowship term to pursue cutting-edge fundamental research projects.
“It’s amazing to see all these companies building off of Nobel Prize-winning research,” said Philip Makotyn, executive director of the CUbit Quantum Initiative, which connects quantum researchers and companies in Colorado. “It’s just a rich ecosystem that doesn't exist anywhere else.”
Systems that cool qubits are difficult to scale up in size, posing a challenge for long-distance quantum communication systems. To bypass this issue, JILA Fellows Cindy Regal, Konrad Lehnert and their teams have created a transducer that uses side-banded cooling to convert microwave photons to optical photons.
Quantum technology promises sophisticated cybersecurity solutions that could shake up the future of computing. Companies are setting up shop in Colorado to develop quantum-security measures, with CU Boulder and federal research facilities partnering to boost the state's nascent quantum industry.
Qubits are a basic building block for quantum computers, but they’re also notoriously fragile—tricky to observe without erasing their information in the process. Now, new research from CU Boulder and NIST may be a leap forward for handling qubits with a light touch.
“This is a technology that was developed for something completely different—for creating better atomic clocks and other tools for quantum research,” said Greg Rieker, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at CU Boulder. “Now, we’re making an impact on climate change.”