- MIT and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts announced plans to establish Quantum Systems Laboratory (QSL) at MIT, which will be open to researchers from across the region.
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With new funding from the state, which will match federal funding for quantum research already underway at MIT, the institute aims to begin construction on the QSL facility this summer.
- QSL will host special facilities that will enable Massachusetts scientists to do impressive work applying quantum research in practical domains including the life sciences and national defense.
Quantum technologies promise transformational change in fields ranging from computing, security and navigation to health sciences, defense technologies and space exploration. But how do we ensure that Massachusetts remains at the forefront of our nation’s future leaps and bounds? Doing so is critical to the prosperity and security of our Commonwealth and nation, thereby protecting and advancing America’s technological leadership in a world increasingly affected by geopolitical rivalry.
On Thursday, May 28, Governor Maura Healey joined President Sally Kornbluth at MIT to announce a new effort aimed at establishing Massachusetts as a national center for quantum innovation and catalyzing the next generation of quantum technologies. MIT and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts announced plans to establish Quantum Systems Laboratory (QSL) At MIT, a new shared-use facility that will serve as a quantum toolbox for the field aims to accelerate quantum research, innovation, and development in this important area.
QSL aims to be the world’s first facility to bring together state-of-the-art quantum computers with quantum sensors and peripherals linked by quantum interconnects (physical channels that transfer quantum information). The facility will provide researchers at MIT and other institutions access to the critical quantum hardware and specialized experimental capabilities needed to realize the full transformative potential of quantum science and engineering.
Thanks to the state’s $25 million investment, which will match a portion of federal funding for quantum research already underway at MIT, the institute is now in position to move forward as early as this summer with construction on the QSL facility, allowing the field to dominate the next generation of quantum research, according to institute officials. The Commonwealth’s investment adds to MIT’s own financial commitment as well as the generous philanthropic support of Thomas Tull.
“Greater Boston has the largest concentration of quantum talent anywhere in the world, working on a range of potential applications. Through the new Quantum Systems Laboratory, we will help Massachusetts lead the next era of quantum technologies.” Kornbluth says. “This facility will serve those at the edges of our wildest imagination in physics and quantum computing. But it will also enable the talent in our field – and ultimately, in our country – to push our knowledge to new frontiers and new innovations.”
The QSL will be located in Building 39 on the MIT campus and will serve as a multidisciplinary quantum hub with modern experimental infrastructure. Because quantum research involves the creation and study of coherent phenomena in systems that are isolated from the rest of the universe, it must take place in highly controlled environments. Work is already underway in Building 39, with significant investment by MIT to upgrade the physical infrastructure for these unique demands. The state support will supercharge this work and allow the laboratory to transform into a hub for scientists from across the region working on next-generation quantum technologies, startup applications, defense and health tech and more.
“Our field has unique strengths in science-intensive innovations and hard technology breakthroughs that connect engineering, science and computing.” Ananth Chandrakasan, Provost of MIT says. “With the new Quantum Systems Laboratory, our goal is to equip Massachusetts with the compute power and integrated platforms needed to lead the coming era of quantum technologies.”
by numbers
QSL will host special facilities that will enable Massachusetts scientists to do impressive work applying quantum research in practical domains. As a shared-use facility, the QSL is being developed with the underlying mission of returning broad scientific, workforce and economic benefits to the public.
For example, quantum technologies offer significant opportunities in the fields of life sciences and defense technologies, which are a $50 billion contributor to the Massachusetts economy, with dozens of startups working in this area. At a time of growing economic anxiety and labor market concerns, investing in foundational quantum facilities will create new employment opportunities at academic research institutions, startups, and others in our region. Construction on the QSL facility alone is estimated to create more than 150 full-time, on-site construction jobs, as well as another 75 to 100 jobs across the Commonwealth in the supply chain and professional services supporting the project.
MIT’s startups are also key drivers of the state’s entrepreneurial ecosystem; In 2015, Sloan Professors Edward Roberts and Fiona Murray published a report detailing how the institute’s alumni entrepreneurs have created more than 30,000 active companies, employ 4.6 million people, and generate annual global revenues of $1.9 trillion, more than the gross domestic product (GDP) of the world’s 10th largest economy as of 2014. The QSL facility will provide the necessary equipment and facilities. Startups are working on quantum technologies, strengthening the region’s innovation economy.
“The new QSL will introduce modern experimental infrastructure to quantum research at MIT and beyond, allowing us to scale up experiments and expand into important domains in disciplines such as biology and chemistry, where we see enormous innovative potential.” Ian Weitz, MIT’s vice president of research, explains. “As the new physical home of the MIT Quantum Initiative (or QMIT), QSL will serve not only as an on-campus incubator, but more broadly, as a regional hub to catalyze quantum innovation, development, and investment in this important R&D area for the Commonwealth.”
One floor of the facility will allow the development of radio-frequency (RF) electronics for controlling and interfacing with quantum systems. QSL will also support researchers in building optimized quantum experiments with advanced high-frequency packages, which are essential for the security of quantum data in real-world applications. The facility will also develop the associated THz electronics required for advanced quantum systems.
History of future-oriented plays
Nearly a decade ago, MIT made an equally big bet on nanotechnology, developing MIT.Nano – a state-of-the-art, shared-use facility with more than 200 instruments and equipment that supports nanoscale discovery and innovation through imaging, fabrication, characterization, and prototyping. Located at the heart of campus in the Lisa T. Su Building, MIT.nano is home to a thriving research community, an industry consortium, and a startup accelerator. More than a fifth of MIT.nano’s 1,500 users come from outside MIT, and half of the companies in its START.nano accelerator have non-MIT founders.
QSL will also complement the capabilities of MIT Lincoln Laboratory’s Squill Foundry, a quantum fabrication hub for superconducting qubit systems that provides free service to researchers in Massachusetts and across the country.
