Quantum nanodiamond sensors advance with $2M NSF funding

The University of Chicago’s Quantum Sensing for Biophysics and Bioengineering (QuBBE) and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Hybrid Quantum Architectures and Networks (HQAN) will each receive $37.5 million in renewed funding from the National Science Foundation. These five-year investments build on work initiated under the 2018 National Quantum Initiative Act, advancing both biological observation and the modular construction of quantum computers.

“For more than four decades, NSF has been laying the foundational groundwork of research and discovery that is powering today’s modern quantum computing, sensing and communication,” said Brian Stone, performing the duties of the NSF director. QuBBE focuses on developing nanoscale sensors, including those utilizing diamond and genetically encodable proteins, to study biological processes currently beyond reach, while HQAN pursues networking smaller quantum processing units as the most promising path toward powerful quantum computation.

QuBBE Advances Nanodiamond Sensors for Cellular Activity

A five-year, $37.5 million investment from the National Science Foundation will allow researchers to move beyond probing biological processes with quantum sensors and toward engineering tools for direct implementation within complex biological systems. This shift in focus addresses a key challenge identified during QuBBE’s initial phase: precisely positioning sensors inside living organisms. Researchers led by UChicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering Associate Professor Peter Maurer and Liew Family Professor David Awschalom have demonstrated that fluorescent proteins can function as spin qubits.

“In the first phase of QuBBE, we used diamond and molecular quantum sensors to probe biological processes, but a key challenge was placing these sensors exactly where they are needed in living systems,” Maurer said. This led the team to develop protein qubits, approximately ten times smaller than diamond sensors, with the potential for targeted delivery inside cells.

The advancement is not merely about miniaturization; it’s about creating sensors inherently compatible with the biological environment they are meant to observe, Illinois says. This new direction is bolstered by the formation of the Berggren Center for Quantum Biology and Medicine at UChicago, a collaborative effort between the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, UChicago Medicine, and the Biological Sciences Division.

Allison Squires, deputy director and co-principal investigator of NSF QuBBE, and Neubauer Family Assistant Professor at the UChicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, explains the center’s integrated approach. “The opportunity in this next phase is to integrate the quantum sensor and the biological question from the beginning,” Squires said.

“Rather than developing a technology in isolation and then looking for an application, we can design these tools for implementation in the complex biological environments where we ultimately want them to work.” Researchers will explore improvements to nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond alongside the development of these protein-based quantum sensors, investigating how entanglement, advanced imaging, and computational theory can enhance the measurement of biological activity.

The institute’s future research will concentrate on four interconnected areas: developing novel quantum nanoprobes for biological sensing, exploring entanglement and squeezed sensing techniques, advancing in vivo measurement with quantum sensors, and accelerating the adoption of quantum sensing across biology and medicine. This multifaceted approach aims to translate fundamental quantum discoveries into practical tools for biomedical research and clinical applications, ultimately providing unprecedented insight into the inner workings of living cells.

HQAN Pioneers Modular Quantum Processing Unit Networking

This substantial investment recognizes HQAN’s progress in overcoming the significant hurdles associated with scaling quantum processing units (QPUs), a challenge that has largely stalled efforts to build truly powerful quantum computers. Rather than attempting to build ever-larger single processors, HQAN focuses on networking smaller QPUs, a strategy considered by most experts as the most viable path toward achieving quantum advantage.

During its initial phase, HQAN researchers achieved several key milestones, including the creation of entangled states within a four-node superconducting circuit quantum network and the development of the first reconfigurable superconducting quantum computing modules, according to Illinois. These accomplishments have laid the groundwork for the institute’s ambitious goals for the next five years: delivering an industry-ready pathway for implementing modular principles.

Brian DeMarco, Illinois physics professor and NSF HQAN director and principal investigator, stated, “We have set the stage for modular quantum computing, which was largely unexplored when we started but now appears on the quantum roadmaps of major companies.” The team intends to demonstrate basic operations on modular platforms, establishing the foundations for algorithms, error correction, and compilers, while simultaneously improving the interconnects that link QPU modules. Beyond hardware development, HQAN is also exploring novel approaches to quantum computing, including chip-scale integration of quantum architectures and more energy-efficient quantum photonics.

Rashid Bashir, dean of Illinois’ Grainger College of Engineering, emphasized the broader impact of this work, saying, “Together with our partners and NSF, we will advance the fundamental architectures needed to make quantum computing scalable and useful, while strengthening the talent, partnerships and innovation ecosystem that will drive the industry forward. Our leadership in this center reflects the U of I’s unique ability to help shape the quantum economy of the future.”

$37.5M NSF Renewals Fuel Quantum Leap Challenge Institutes

$37.5 million over five years will refine quantum sensors capable of observing biological processes at an unprecedented scale. Researchers are concentrating on developing protein-based quantum sensors, approximately ten times smaller than existing diamond-based sensors, and engineered for precise targeting within living cells. “This motivated us to develop protein qubits,” Maurer said. This next phase of QuBBE aims to integrate sensor design with specific biological questions from the outset, moving beyond isolated technology development.

Through this center, researchers are accelerating the adoption of quantum sensing technologies within healthcare and training a new generation of physician-scientists. Another $37.5 million will advance modular quantum computing, with the renewed funding focusing on closing remaining gaps in modular quantum computing implementation, including demonstrating basic operations on modular platforms and developing the necessary software infrastructure.

Protein Qubits and Entanglement Drive Next-Phase Biosensing

This shift in methodology aims to create tools specifically tailored for complex biological environments, moving beyond the limitations of adapting existing technology. The five-year, $37.5 million investment will allow QuBBE to further explore entanglement’s potential for biosensing, building on initial successes in genetically encodable qubits and nanoscale nuclear magnetic resonance, expanding the possibilities for observing previously inaccessible biological processes.

Through this center, the team is creating opportunities for students to gain knowledge and research experience in this rapidly developing field. This center will focus on translating quantum technologies into biomedical applications and training physicians to integrate quantum science into healthcare.