Fermilab, Argonne and the University of Chicago to create a quantum ecosystem

Fermilab have issued a press release to advise that they will be collaborating with the University of Chicago and Argonne to create a quantum ecosystem. Such a collaboration will see the creation of an environment that purely focuses on the processing of information at the quantum level. Many have sought to create quantum information processors and such collaborations will accelerate advancements within this field.

MIT Harvard researchers have been looking at methods to create mass produced quantum computers, by utilising the atomic scale flaws in diamonds. In addition researchers at the Russian Quantum Center have been looking at data security in anticipation of the quantum age.

David Awschalom, UChicago’s Liew Family Professor in Molecular Engineering and an Argonne senior scientist has highlighted the importance of Quantum information research. He states that to improve the manipulation of information at the quantum level will provide a plethora of advancements in every field of technology imaginable.

“We are at a remarkable moment in science and engineering, where a stream of scientific discoveries are yielding new ways to create, control, and communicate between quantum states of matter,” Awschalom said. “Efforts in Chicago and around the world are leading to the development of fundamentally new technologies, where information is manipulated at the atomic scale and governed by the laws of quantum mechanics. Transformative technologies are likely to emerge with far-reaching applications, ranging from ultra-sensitive sensors for biomedical imaging to secure communication networks to new paradigms for computation. In addition, they are making us re-think the meaning of information itself.”

The nature and unique behaviour of sub-atomic particles means that the way we view information and how it’s stored will dramatically change. As quibits, which are the units that are used in quantum information processing, can exist in a variety of states, the amount of information that can be processed at the quantum level exponentially increases. Consequently the way that information is viewed and stored will indisputably experience a profound shift – changing our lives forever.

Argonne and UChicago have already invested $6 million in “The Quantum Factory”. This facility has a ‘state of the art’ deposition system that can layer the atoms of materials needed to create quantum structures.

The nature of the sub-atomic research, being undertaken at Fermilab, requires substantial information processing and a variety of communication technologies. Therefore, to glean the most accurate data, from experiments, requires investment in quantum information development. This investment will be beneficial for planned sub atomic experiments visualised some 15 years in advance. Consequently generations to come will benefit from the profoundly advanced capabilities that will result from such research.