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In collaboration with Professor Shuo Sun (Physics, JILA), Assistant Professor Andrés Montoya-Castillo (Chemistry) and his team have developed a new method for better understanding and controlling "noise"—environmental disturbances that can disrupt the delicate state of a quantum system.

Earlier this week at JILA, Governor Polis signed legislation to support and strengthen Colorado's nation-leading quantum industry. A historic state investment of up to $74 million positions the state to compete for historic federal funds that will create a quantum boom in Colorado.

Heather Lewandowski (JILA, Physics) and graduate student Qizhong Liang represented CU Boulder at the event, which highlighted the pivotal role of federal funding in advancing quantum research and the potential of government-funded quantum initiatives nationwide.

Adam Kaufman (JILA, NIST, Physics) and his team have demonstrated a novel method of boson sampling using ultracold bosonic atoms in a two-dimensional optical lattice and sophisticated laser cooling techniques that reduce noise and decoherence—common challenges in quantum experiments.

“This is the first time the program brought the scholars into a working quantum company," said Professor Michael Ritzwoller (Physics). “The ability to witness quantum research in an industrial setting is a mind-expanding experience for the quantum scholars, which will help guide their future professional development.”

JILA Fellows Ana Maria Rey, James Thompson, Murray Holland and their teams have demonstrated a new type of atomic interaction with big implications for quantum sensing. Momentum-exchange interaction could help overcome the problem of "atomic recoil" that occurs when an atom interacts with a photon.

By using precise laser cooling and mass spectrometry to control quantum states, Heather Lewandowski (JILA, Physics) and her team have mimicked ion-neutral reactions similar to those in the interstellar medium, bringing scientists closer to understanding the chemical development of the cosmos.

World Quantum Day, celebrated on April 14, is a worldwide initiative to promote the public understanding of quantum science. Learn more about the tight-knit quantum research community centered at CU Boulder, NIST, JILA and the surrounding Front Range area, including established companies and startups.

At CU Boulder's Conference on World Affairs, Dana Anderson (JILA, Electrical Engineering), the CSO of Infleqtion (previously ColdQuanta), joined forces with Corban Tillman-Dick, CEO and Founder of Maybell and chair of Elevate Quantum, to share his insights into the rapidly evolving quantum technology landscape.

Building on efforts to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in physics, CU Boulder’s Department of Physics and JILA will host a Conference for Undergraduate Women and Gender Minorities in Physics (CU*iP) in January 2025. The conference will bring approximately 150 students from the Midwest region to Boulder.