The U.S. Department of Energy’s Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory has opened a new quantum research facility, “The Quantum Garage”. The 6,000-sq.-ft. lab was created by the Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Center to advance quantum information science and technology. The facility features large dilution refrigerators for quantum computation, sensing, metrology, and communications. It also includes the first commercial quantum processor deployed at Fermilab. The lab will also train the next generation of quantum computing scientists. Attendees at the opening included DOE Undersecretary for Science and Innovation Geri Richmond, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Deputy Gov. Martin Torres.
Quantum Research Facility Opens at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory recently inaugurated a new quantum research facility, named “The Quantum Garage“. This 6,000-sq.-ft. lab was conceived and constructed by the Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Center (SQMS) with the aim of bringing together scientific communities, industries, and start-ups from around the world to advance quantum information science and technology.
The opening ceremony was attended by several senior officials, including DOE Undersecretary for Science and Innovation Geri Richmond, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, and Deputy Gov. Martin Torres, among others. Representatives from federal agencies, academia, and industry from across the U.S. and the world were also present.
The SQMS Quantum Garage is expected to enable the scientific community, including start-ups, academia, and industry, to advance quantum technology and science. It aims to overcome technical barriers by providing increased access to cutting-edge scientific tools and equipment.
Advanced Equipment and Quantum Platforms at the New Facility
The Quantum Garage is equipped with several newly commissioned, large dilution refrigerators capable of reaching cryogenic temperatures just above absolute zero. These refrigerators host platforms developed by the SQMS collaboration for performing quantum computation, sensing, metrology, and communications.
The quantum platforms include the first commercial quantum processor deployed on-premise at Fermilab, quantum memories and transducers based on novel approaches, quantum metrology tools for developing materials standards, and quantum sensors for fundamental physics. These platforms and experiments are expected to advance further the collaborative efforts of the 34 SQMS partners across industry, academia, and federal labs.
Quantum Garage: A New Era in Quantum Science and Technology
The SQMS Quantum Garage represents a significant step forward in the field of quantum science and technology. It is expected to leverage Fermilab’s unique strengths in related accelerator technology and particle physics, and create a global partnership spanning across academia, national labs, industry, and federal agencies.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker expressed his commitment to making Illinois the premier hub of quantum development. The new facility is also expected to attract the best in quantum science.
Training the Next Generation of Quantum Computing Scientists
The Quantum Garage will also serve as a training ground for the next generation of quantum computing scientists, engineers, and support staff. The SQMS Center has already trained hundreds of students and through new partnerships with minority-serving institutions and strategic partners in the state of Illinois, the new lab will be a crucial space for training a diverse quantum workforce.
The facility was recently used as the core training ground for the SQMS Center-led U.S. Quantum Information Science School that launched in August.
SQMS: A Key Player in Quantum Information Science Research
The Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Center (SQMS) is one of the five Department of Energy National Quantum Information Science Research Centers. It is a collaboration of more than 30 partner institutions, including national labs, academia, and industry, working together to bring transformational advances in the field of quantum information science.
The center leverages Fermilab’s expertise in building complex particle accelerators to engineer multiqubit quantum processor platforms based on state-of-the-art qubits and superconducting technologies. SQMS aims to build a quantum computer and new quantum sensors at Fermilab, which will open unprecedented computational opportunities.
“The SQMS Quantum Garage will enable the scientific community, including start-ups, academia and industry to advance quantum technology and science, and break through the difficult technical barriers, with increased access to cutting-edge scientific tools and equipment,” said DOE Under Secretary for Science and Innovation Richmond.
“The SQMS Quantum Garage signals a new era in this field, and represents the best of our National Quantum Initiative,” said Gov. Pritzker. “SQMS will accomplish what few other can — building on Fermilab’s unique strengths in related accelerator technology and particle physics, and creating a global partnership which spans across academia, national labs and industry, and federal agencies to reach a new quantum frontier. I’m thrilled to see our state attract the best in quantum science, and I am committed to making Illinois the premier hub of quantum development.”
“At today’s inauguration of the Quantum Garage, we celebrate important scientific and technological advancements made by SQMS during its first three years of existence and, at the same time, the innovations and breakthroughs to come in the field of quantum information science and technology,” said SQMS Center Director Anna Grassellino. “Today would not be possible without the Department of Energy, Fermilab and the hard work done by our staff within the SQMS Center who have built this collaborative space.”
Quick Summary
“The Quantum Garage”, a new quantum research facility, has been inaugurated at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in the U.S., aiming to unite scientific communities, industries, and start-ups to advance quantum information science and technology. The facility, equipped with advanced scientific tools and equipment, will also serve as a training ground for the next generation of quantum computing scientists and engineers.
- The U.S. Department of Energy’s Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory has opened a new quantum research facility, “The Quantum Garage”.
- The 6,000-sq.-ft. lab was created by the Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Center (SQMS) to advance quantum information science and technology.
- Attendees at the opening included DOE Undersecretary for Science and Innovation Geri Richmond, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Deputy Gov. Martin Torres, U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, and representatives from NASA, federal labs, academia, and industry.
- The facility houses large dilution refrigerators for performing quantum computation, sensing, metrology, and communications. It also hosts the first commercial quantum processor at Fermilab.
- The SQMS Quantum Garage will also serve as a training ground for the next generation of quantum computing scientists and engineers.
- The SQMS Center is one of the five Department of Energy National Quantum Information Science Research Centers and is a collaboration of more than 30 partner institutions, including Ames National Laboratory, NASA, NIST, Northwestern University, Rigetti Computing, the Italian Institute of Nuclear Physics, and the U.K. National Physics Laboratory.