Harvard Partners with National Labs to Advance Quantum Computing

(Harvard.edu) Mikhail Lukin, a George Vasmer Leverett Professor of Physics and co-director of the Harvard Quantum Initiative, is project leader of one of the QSA’s major research thrusts: algorithms and applications. Lukin and his team will investigate how quantum computers can meaningfully speed up answers to real-world scientific problems and create new tools to quantify this advantage and performance. “Within this project, DOE labs partner with leading academic research groups from across the country to address some of the most important challenges in the field of quantum information science: building useful quantum systems, and working together toward the exciting goal of realizing new applications that are out of reach for the most powerful classical computers,” Lukin said.
John Doyle, the Henry B. Silsbee Professor of Physics and co-director of the Harvard Quantum Initiative, is also a primary investigator (PI) at the center. His research will focus on creating programmable arrays of single molecules for use in quantum computing and simulations. The arrays can realize several different types of simulations and computations, with each molecule acting as a single qubit, the much more powerful quantum version of a classical computer bit. “We are doing the basic research into a new quantum-computing platform — individually controlled arrays of single molecules,” said Doyle. “This new center will seed our ideas into other areas of research as we, in turn, learn about new developments made with other quantum platforms. I’m so thankful for all the hard work from people in the Harvard Quantum Initiative who made it possible for us to be part of this center.”