Q-Next

01/09/2026

In summer 2025, five fabulous undergraduates supported through the Open Quantum Initiative joined scientists at Argonne National Laboratory to help build qubits, probe quantum materials, write code for quantum hardware and explore how these technologies might one day power new computers and networks. Hosted by the Chicago Quantum Exchange, OQI brings students into the heart of the Midwest’s quantum ecosystem.

The students' stories are inspiring. Former Argonne intern Diana Elizabeth Dancea wrote this Q&A with those fabulous five. Find out what they did, where they're going, and what they learned about life as a researcher.

⚛ https://www.anl.gov/article/the-fabulous-five-open-quantum-initiative-undergraduate-fellows-conduct-research-at-argonne

Five students conduct quantum information research during a summer at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory through the Open Quantum Initiative Undergraduate Fellowship.

01/06/2026

What happens when decades of transistor engineering meet quantum science?

Scientists at Argonne National Laboratory and Intel are showing how the building blocks of classical computing can be repurposed for the future. In a new collaboration led by Q-NEXT, the teams have deployed and are operating a 12-qubit quantum dot device. They've published their first results in Nature Communications.

The work draws a direct line from the transistor to the quantum dot, pairing Intel’s manufacturing expertise with Argonne’s deep physics and characterization capabilities. It’s a powerful example of how industry and national laboratories can combine strengths to tackle challenges neither could solve alone.

🔗 Read the full story:

In a collaboration between Argonne and Intel, researchers deploy a 12-qubit processor based on quantum dots in silicon, achieving a partnership and quantum technology milestone.

12/11/2025

TOP 🔟: Congratulations 🎉 to Q-NEXT CSO David Awschalom and collaborator Peter Maurer for making Physics World’s top 10 breakthroughs of the year.

https://physicsworld.com/a/top-10-breakthroughs-of-the-year-in-physics-for-2025-revealed/

Physics World recognized David and Peter for designing a protein that can be used as a magnetic field sensor inside living cells.

UChicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering

A molecular superfluid, high-resolution microscope and a protein qubit are on our list

12/09/2025

Jeffrey Larson, a mathematician at Argonne National Laboratory, is helping advance computing and particle physics, serves as a mentor to students and postdocs, and earlier this year contributed to a groundbreaking study of randomness in quantum computing.

Learn more about Jeffrey, his research, and his outreach:

Whether he's optimizing fusion reactors or mentoring future scientists, Larson thrives on turning complex challenges into elegant solutions.

12/01/2025

Q-NEXT Chief Science Officer David Awschalom talks with the Chicago Sun-Times about encryption, computing and the growing ecosystem in the Midwest:

🔗 https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2025/11/30/quantum-computing-benefit-university-chicago-fermi-technology-science

11/20/2025

Welcome to the 2.0 🎉

The U.S. Department of Energy has renewed the five National Quantum Information Science Research Centers and its commitment to keep the US at the forefront of information science.

Learn more: https://www.anl.gov/article/argonneled-qnext-quantum-center-renewed-for-five-years

11/17/2025

"Partnerships with industry can make ... the sector as whole more attractive to government, philanthropic, and corporate institutions that are investing in our future, and they can spur the development of new discoveries. ...By crafting responsible, mutually beneficial collaborations between university and industry research, we enhance both. We create an academic world that is as connected as the real world, opening up new opportunities for exploration and innovation." —Q-NEXT Chief Science Officer David Awschalom

In a Crain's Chicago Business op-ed, Awschalom talks about the indispensability of cross-sector collaboration for quantum science and all frontier science. Check it out: https://www.chicagobusiness.com/opinion/students-and-society-benefit-industry-collaboration-op-ed (subscription required)

University education, academic research, and industry innovation are not siloed projects — and nor should they be.

11/10/2025

Congratulations to our collaborator Danna Freedman of MIT on her new role leading the MIT Quantum Initiative!

Danna Freedman is seeking the early adopters.

She is the faculty director of the nascent MIT Quantum Initiative, or QMIT. In this new role, Freedman is giving shape to an ambitious, Institute-wide effort to apply quantum breakthroughs to the most consequential challenges in science, technology, industry, and national security.

The interdisciplinary endeavor, the newest of MIT President Sally Kornbluth’s strategic initiatives, will bring together MIT researchers and domain experts from a range of industries to identify and tackle practical challenges wherever quantum solutions could achieve the greatest impact.

“We’ve already seen how the breadth of progress in quantum has created opportunities to rethink the future of security and encryption, imagine new modes of navigation, and even measure gravitational waves more precisely to observe the cosmos in an entirely new way,” says Freedman, the Frederick George Keyes Professor of Chemistry. “What can we do next? We’re investing in the promise of quantum, and where the legacy will be in 20 years.”

QMIT — the name is a nod to the “qubit,” the basic unit of quantum information — will formally launch on Dec. 8 with an all-day event on campus. Over time, the initiative plans to establish a physical home in the heart of campus for academic, public, and corporate engagement with state-of-the-art integrated quantum systems. Beyond MIT’s campus, QMIT will also work closely with the U.S. government and MIT Lincoln Laboratory, applying the lab’s capabilities in quantum hardware development, systems engineering, and rapid prototyping to national security priorities.

“The MIT Quantum Initiative seizes a timely opportunity in service to the nation’s scientific, economic, and technological competitiveness,” says Ian A. Waitz, MIT’s vice president for research. “With quantum capabilities approaching an inflection point, QMIT will engage students and researchers across all our schools and the college, as well as companies around the world, in thinking about what a step change in sensing and computational power will mean for a wide range of fields. Incredible opportunities exist in health and life sciences, fundamental physics research, cybersecurity, materials science, sensing the world around us, and more.”

Read more via the link in the comments.

11/04/2025

Five more years!

We're happy to announce that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has renewed Q-NEXT for another five years.

Q-NEXT is establishing the science and technology for the networked quantum information processing of the future. Led by Argonne National Laboratory in partnership with SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Q-NEXT is a DOE National Quantum Information Science Research Center that unites leaders at two national laboratories, 11 universities and six technology companies.

Leveraging its partners’ respective strengths and capabilities, Q-NEXT is building entanglement-enabled technologies to connect the world through quantum information.

Learn more about Q-NEXT and our plans for the next five years: https://www.anl.gov/article/argonneled-qnext-quantum-center-renewed-for-five-years

10/22/2025

Star Trek, quantum teleportation, and breakthroughs for our everyday lives: At the most recent TEDx Chicago, Q-NEXT Inaugural Director David Awschalom reveals how uncertainty is a powerful engine of discovery fueling breakthroughs in computing, medicine and secure communication. Our future is not just coming — it’s already here. Check out his presentation:

Physicist David Awschalom takes us on a fast-paced journey from Star Trek to quantum teleportation, showing how what once seemed like science fiction is quic...

09/24/2025

What is a ? The final installment of Quantum Concepts explains the concept of a qubit in two minutes using a apple.

How do you like them apples.

09/19/2025

Want to better understand superposition? Check out the 2-minute animation from our lead lab Argonne National Laboratory.