Q-Next

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

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.

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:

Argonne launches silicon quantum processor collaboration with Intel 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.

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:

Jeffrey Larson brings math to the frontiers of science Whether he's optimizing fusion reactors or mentoring future scientists, Larson thrives on turning complex challenges into elegant solutions.

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.