News and Stories

Congratulations to INQUIRE Director and Clare Hamilton Hall Professor of Chemistry, Michael R. Wasielewski, on being named the 2026 Marsha I. Lester Award for Exemplary Impact in Physical Chemistry from the American Chemical Society Physical Chemistry Division. He will be honored at ACS Fall 2026 in Chicago, where he will present his research, be recognized at the PHYS Division reception, and receive this prestigious award. Join us in celebrating this well-deserved recognition.

Key researcher’s work has advanced across generations of computers, leading to current quantum software stacks that were focus of recent NU event

Early in a career that’s gotten underway as the potential for quantum computing has begun to accelerate, Kate Smith is focused on leading both academic researchers and companies toward a future in which the vast power of quantum becomes scalable for an exciting array of uses.

The third annual Quantum Computer Cybersecurity Symposium (QCCS), held November 6-7 at The Guild Lounge at Scott Hall, was the brainchild of recently arrived electrical and computer engineering Professor Jakub Szefer, who hosted the first two iterations of the event at his former position at Yale University before joining Northwestern in January 2025.

NuCrypt, an Illinois-based manufacturer of quantum optical instrumentation, has joined the CQE as a corporate partner.

Professor Prem Kumar will provide guidance on the long-term strategy for NTT’s fundamental research in materials science, quantum science, and solid-state and optical science

Researchers have discovered how to design and place single-photon sources at the atomic scale inside ultrathin 2D materials, lighting the path for future quantum innovations.

Fermilab is hosting a national symposium that brings together experts from across the quantum information science community. The event comes as the United States expands its leadership in quantum technology and underscores Fermilab’s increasing emphasis on QIS research.

A promising method for connecting quantum devices on a chip is to use magnons, magnetic waves that move through materials and carry information. Recent research from a team led by Professor Mark Hersam found that a fragile magnetic material called vanadium tetracyanoethylene can be protected from atmospheric damage by coating it with an extremely thin layer of alumina.

The first round of work conducted by the Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Center (SQMS) aimed to establish and demonstrate the bona fides of a new quantum computing platform. The grant that was announced on November 4 for a second round of SQMS, a multi-organizational effort funded through the U.S. Department of Energy, led by Fermi National Accelerator lab and tapping Northwestern researchers’ expertise, will scale it up.

Northwestern Engineering’s James Rondinelli and Christopher Schuh have been selected to the class of 2026 Materials Research Society (MRS) Fellows.

The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science has renewed the Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Center (SQMS), hosted by Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, with $125 million over the next five years to accelerate breakthroughs in quantum information science. The total planned funding is $125 million over five years, with $25 million in the first year and future funding contingent on congressional appropriations.

Quantum light sources often produce inconsistent or contaminated single photons, limiting the reliability of quantum technologies. This simple, scalable approach enables more precise, reliable photon sources essential for secure quantum communication and ultra-precise sensing.

New projects could lead to breakthroughs in computing, sensing and secure communications

NVIDIA code could help researchers tackle computationally demanding tasks hindering quantum research

Anchored by the Chicago Quantum Summit, Midwest Quantum Week highlights strengths of the IL-WI-IN quantum ecosystem

For the first time, scientists at Northwestern University, Boston University (BU) and University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) have built a tiny photonic quantum system into a traditional electronic chip.

The field of quantum information science (QIS) relies heavily on physics—and many think about it in those terms—but materials science and chemistry are also critical to the success of quantum technologies like computing, sensing and communications, according to Mark Hersam, PhD, chair of the materials science and engineering department and director of the materials research center at Northwestern’s McCormick School of Engineering.

One program, Quantum Sensing Summer Program with NSF QuBBE, offers Chicago high schoolers two weeks of lab immersion.

Just when scientists thought they knew everything about crystals, a Northwestern University and University of Wisconsin-Madison collaboration has uncovered a hidden secret.

Northwestern University chemist James Gaynor has been named a 2025 Beckman Young Instigator by the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation. Established in 1991, the Beckman Young Investigator Program supports the most promising young faculty members in the early stages of their academic careers in the chemical and life sciences. It is particularly designed to foster the invention of methods, instruments and materials to open new avenues of scientific research. Each awardee receives $600,000 in funding across four years.

The US Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems (SQMS) Center is betting on ultrahigh-quality-factor superconducting cavity technologies in its quest to develop scalable “qudit-based” quantum computing and communication architectures.

A research paper that demonstrated how quantum communications can be implemented using conventional fiber optic infrastructure--which went “viral” in both the mainstream and scientific news media last December--has led to a bevy of speaking engagements in India this year for co-author Prem Kumar, PhD, director of Northwestern’s Center for Photonic Communication and Computing and a professor of electrical and computer engineering.

While entangled photons hold incredible promise for quantum computing and communications, they have a major inherent disadvantage. After one use, they simply disappear. But in a new study published in Physical Review Letters, Northwestern physicists propose a strategy to maintain communications in a constantly changing, unpredictable quantum network. By rebuilding these disappearing connections, the researchers found the network eventually settles into a stable — albeit different — state.

Advance opens door for secure quantum applications without specialized infrastructure. Northwestern University engineers are the first to successfully demonstrate quantum teleportation over a fiber optic cable already carrying Internet traffic.

Northwestern Engineering researchers are collaborating to harness the extraordinary phenomena that underlie the origin and structure of the universe. At first glance, quantum mechanics might seem strange or even impossible. That’s because our everyday experiences of the laws of physics are very different from how matter and energy behave at the atomic and subatomic level.

Quantum information science (QIS) opens the door to revolutionize the way we process, store, and transmit information. The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Science plays a key role in QIS research & development (R&D). The Office of Science has provided sustained support for the development of QIS, leading to groundbreaking scientific discoveries and significant advances in our understanding of the natural world.

Seventh annual event breaks in-person attendance records, features discussions about commercialization, workforce building, and the need for continued investment.

Event will highlight industry and government collaborations, honor early-career Boeing Quantum Creators researchers, and engage the public.

$14.5 million grant renews quantum transduction center for another four years.

Northwestern Engineering and INQUIRE Faculty Affiliate, Mahdi Hosseini, shares public education and quantum workforce pipeline goals with STEM students at the Quantum Summer School workshop.

Michael R. Wasielewski, Northwestern University Clare Hamilton Hall Professor of Chemistry and Director of the Center for Molecular Quantum Transduction (CMQT), gave a Town Talk with the Telluride Science & Innovation Center. The event was recorded for the "Science Straight Up" podcast.

Congratulations to the Northwestern University faculty who have been recognized by the Academy as leaders across disciplines, professions, and perspectives. INQUIRE faculty member, Mark Hersam, is among the 250 members elected in 2024.

Prem Kumar, the director of the Center for Photonic Communication and Computing at Northwestern University, says quantum physics is essential to creating technologies that will revolutionize our lives — but building a quantum computer is not without challenges.

A coalition led by the Chicago Quantum Exchange has been awarded a $1 million US National Science Foundation Regional Innovation Engines (NSF Engines) Development Award to deepen partnerships and strengthen workforce and economic development plans for Chicagoland’s growing quantum ecosystem.

Congratulations to Professor Mark Hersam, whose research has led to more effective nanomaterials used in electronics, energy storage, and medicine.

April 14 is World Quantum Day, an annual event celebrating quantum science and technology around the world. Join us in celebrating World Quantum Day by learning more about the wonders of quantum technology.

Recent work from Northwestern Engineering’s James Rondinelli could lead to a new class of metals that defy conventional wisdom. With the creation of Ca3Co3O8, the traditional distinctions between metals, polar materials, and magnets blur.

Northwestern University hosted a plenary meeting for the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C) to facilitate the advancement of quantum research and technology development.

Governor JB Pritzker and Innovate Illinois announced a multi-year plan for The Bloch Quantum Tech Hub to develop quantum technology solutions for pressing issues such as fraud detection, grid resilience, and drug discovery.

Since its founding, NASA has been dedicated to the advancement of aeronautics and space science. The NASA scientific and technical information (STI) program plays a key part in helping NASA maintain this important role.