Dr. David J. Dean is the Principal Investigator and Director of the Quantum Science Center (QSC), a Department of Energy (DOE) National Quantum Information Science Research Center. The QSC incorporates research across an integrated QIS innovation chain that includes fundamental science R&D, device development, prototyping of new quantum devices and sensors, and a wide range of quantum computing and sensing applications in materials science and the fundamental science of dark matter detection.
Every week researchers make great strides in demonstrating a new breakthrough in Quantum Information Science (QIS). These breakthroughs will lead to accelerated innovation in both QIS and related disciplines. Furthermore, QIS innovation will generate new technologies to accurately predict, detect, and model the complex world around us in areas such as energy generation and efficiency, national security, new materials discovery, and fundamental physics. During this talk, I will describe aspects of the overall Department of Energy(DOE) research in QIS, including highlights of research being performed at the US Department of Energy National Quantum Information Science Research Centers. The aim of the Centers, coupled with DOE’s core research portfolio, is to create and to steward the ecosystem needed to foster and facilitate advancement of QIS, with major anticipated national impact on national security, economic competitiveness, and America’s continued leadership in science. Each Center incorporates a collaborative research team spanning multiple scientific and engineering disciplines and multiple institutions. In addition, each Center seamlessly integrates the science and technology innovation chain to accelerate progress in QIS research and development, to facilitate technology transfer, and to build the quantum workforce of the future. I will then describe in more detail the Quantum Science Center (QSC). The QSC, led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, includes 4 national laboratories, 3 industrial partners, and 9 university partners. The QSC is dedicated to overcoming key roadblocks in quantum state resilience, controllability, and ultimately scalability of quantum technologies. This goal will be achieved through integration of the discovery, design, and demonstration of revolutionary topological quantum materials, algorithms, and sensors, catalyzing development of disruptive technologies. Integral to the activities of the QSC is the development of the next generation of scientists and engineers through active engagement of students and postdoctoral associates in research activities, offering a rich environment for professional development.
