Insider Brief:
NSF announced $5 million in funding for five pilot projects to develop the NSF National Quantum Virtual Laboratory (NQVL). The NQVL will be a national resource designed to advance quantum technologies and support the broader quantum ecosystem through workforce development and accessible technology. The pilot projects will lay the foundation for the NQVL, and teams will have the opportunity to seek further funding through the Quantum Science and Technology Demonstration (QSTD): II. Design and Implementation proposal.
Earlier this month, the National Science Foundation (NSF) announced funding of $1 million each to five recipients to advance projects aligned with the development of the NSF National Quantum Virtual Laboratory (NQVL), which will be the first of its kind: a national resource designed to accelerate the development of quantum technologies while supporting the larger quantum ecosystem through workforce development and accessible technology.
A vision for the shared benefits of quantum superiority:
The creation of the NQVL was born from NSF's vision to advance the United States toward a common goal: achieving quantum superiority by using quantum technologies to solve problems with societal benefit. This initial $5 million investment is just the first phase of a multi-year effort to build a geographically distributed national resource. Each recipient of the first phase will be invited to apply for further funding through the Quantum Science and Technology Demonstration (QSTD): II. Design and Implementation proposal. When fully realized, the Virtual Lab will become an essential resource within the quantum ecosystem as a broadly accessible resource for streamlined development of quantum technologies.
“As a national shared resource, the NQVL also overcomes the limitations associated with using only physical facilities: it is open to any qualified researcher or student anywhere in the United States,” says Dennis Caldwell, NSF's acting associate director for Mathematics and Physical Sciences.
Diverse perspectives lead to creative innovation:
The first five projects will be led by experts from academia, industry, and government. Quantum computing is a technology deeply rooted in the abstractions of quantum mechanics, and it is crucial to bring together the expertise of theory, experiment, business, and the level of curiosity needed to drive progress towards practical applications.
The NQVL provides the creative framework needed to achieve quantum advantage. The challenge in developing quantum technologies is that progress must be made before the technology is fully mature, relying on incremental advances through an iterative process.
Resources for quantum talent:
The NQVL will serve not only as a resource infrastructure but also as a catalyst for the development of quantum technology talent in the U.S. As the laboratory continues to evolve, it will provide training and educational resources to develop and nurture the next generation of quantum professionals, in line with NSF's 2018 National Quantum Initiative Act, which aims to advance and establish the U.S. as a leader in quantum technology development.
Highlighting the broader impact of the NQVL, Irwin Gianchandani, NSF's associate director for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships, said, “America's competitiveness depends on accelerating the translation of technological innovations into markets and society, while training the American workforce for the jobs of the future.”
Future Outlook:
Until the initial phase is over, the pilot project team will focus on exploratory work and laying the groundwork for the eventual development of the NQVL, after which the team will have the opportunity to submit a proposal for additional NSF funding for the design and implementation of quantum-based technologies and testbeds.
As the NQVL project moves toward reality, it promises to become an unparalleled resource for quantum information research in the U.S. NSF's strategic investment in NQVL, coupled with a dedicated team of scientists and industry experts, sets the stage for major advances in quantum technologies and workforce development.
The first five NQVL pilot projects listed on the NSF website are:
Wide-area quantum network to demonstrate quantum superiority (SCY-QNet)
Led by Stony Brook University in collaboration with Columbia University, Yale University, and Brookhaven National Laboratory, the research team aims to build a long-distance, 10-node quantum network to demonstrate quantum supremacy through quantum communication and distributed quantum processing. These technological advances will help realize secure, privacy-preserving long-distance communication systems.
Quantum Advantage Class Trapped Ion System (QACTI)
Led by Duke University in collaboration with the University of Chicago, Tufts University, North Carolina State University and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University, the team will work to develop a 256-qubit ion-trap quantum computing system that can be controlled over the internet to perform a wide range of quantum simulations and calculations.
Deep Learning with Programmable Quantum Computing (DLPQC)
Led by Massachusetts Institute of Technology in collaboration with Harvard University, University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of Maryland, the team aims to develop a more than 100-qubit quantum computing platform for error-correcting computing capable of complex many-body system analysis to solve problems in chemistry, advanced materials, and physics.
Quantum Sensing and Imaging Lab (Q-SAIL)
Led by the University of California, Los Angeles, in collaboration with the University of Delaware, California Institute of Technology, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the project aims to develop quantum sensors based on two-dimensional trapped ion arrays. Such sensors could dramatically advance frequency metrology, with applications in areas such as communications, navigation, and terahertz imaging for use in astronomy and medicine.
Quantum Computing Applications of Photonics (QCAP)
Led by the University of New Mexico in collaboration with New Mexico State University, Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Scorpios Technologies, and Hoonify Technologies, the team's goal is to create a quantum computer on a chip using monolithically integrated quantum photonics and ultimately develop the technology into a commercially viable product through industry partnerships.
