{"id":347120,"date":"2025-12-13T21:46:13","date_gmt":"2025-12-13T21:46:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/347120\/"},"modified":"2025-12-13T21:46:13","modified_gmt":"2025-12-13T21:46:13","slug":"umd-takes-central-role-in-marylands-1b-quantum-computing-initiative","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/347120\/","title":{"rendered":"UMD takes central role in Maryland\u2019s $1B quantum computing initiative"},"content":{"rendered":"

Inside an underground lab in the University of Maryland\u2019s Physical Sciences Complex, physics professor Steven Rolston pointed toward a maze of mirrors, lenses and laser beams projected across a table.\n<\/p>\n

The beams of focused light contain atoms, trapped in a vacuum chamber at temperatures similar to the conditions in outer space. Rolston and his team of student quantum researchers use these highly-controlled conditions to study how these atoms interact.<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\tA quantum optics experiment in progress inside of the Physical Sciences Complex on Oct. 30, 2025. (Will Swearingen\/The Diamondback)<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\tA quantum optics experiment in progress inside of the Physical Sciences Complex on Oct. 30, 2025. (Will Swearingen\/The Diamondback)<\/p>\n

Rolston\u2019s lab is one of many at this university dedicated to quantum research \u2014 a field that has drawn increased attention from the state government this year.\n<\/p>\n

In January, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore announced<\/a> a $1 billion initiative to make the state a \u201cCapital of Quantum.\u201d With more than 30 years of quantum research, this university has positioned itself as a leader in the field, according to university president Darryll Pines.\n<\/p>\n

At the core of quantum computers are qubits, or \u201cquantum bits,\u201d which can be similar to traditional computer bits, the smallest possible unit of data. But unlike bits, which are represented as either a one or zero, qubits can exist in both binary states at the same time.\n<\/p>\n

This ability to exist in multiple states simultaneously helps make quantum computing more efficient for certain kinds of algorithmic calculations.<\/p>\n

[Gov. Wes Moore announces partnership with 2 AI firms to help streamline Maryland agencies<\/a>]\n<\/p>\n

But the slightest interference from the outside world, such as from light, heat or vibrations, can interrupt a quantum computer\u2019s calculations, Rolston said. Cooling the atoms that power these computers as much as possible, as Rolston\u2019s lab does, helps eliminate some of that noise.\n<\/p>\n

The constant tug-of-war between isolating atoms from their surroundings while still exerting control over them is one of the main challenges in building a quantum computer, Rolston said.\n<\/p>\n

But ask the scientists researching quantum technology what its practical use is, and the answers get fuzzy.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cThey can\u2019t necessarily tell you what quantum is going to be good for,\u201d said Gretchen Campbell, who in July became this university\u2019s first associate vice president for quantum research and education<\/a>.\u201cWe know [it\u2019s] going to be good for something, but we don\u2019t know what it\u2019s going to be, or exactly when it\u2019s going to be.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\tA piece of machinery inside of the Physical Sciences Complex on Oct. 30, 2025. (Will Swearingen\/The Diamondback)<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\tA notebook lays open inside of a laboratory in the Physical Sciences Complex on Oct. 30, 2025. (Will Swearingen\/The Diamondback)<\/p>\n

Norbert Linke, an associate physics professor and director of the National Quantum Laboratory at this university, envisions a not-too-distant future where quantum computers work alongside conventional machines in data centers, handling computationally intensive tasks.\n<\/p>\n

Linke believes researchers in fields such as physics and materials science could be the first to adopt specialized applications before quantum reaches mainstream audiences.\n<\/p>\n

[Prince George\u2019s County data center task force emphasizes community input in new report<\/a>]\n<\/p>\n

Campbell, who spent several years coordinating quantum policy at the White House before taking her role at this university, said one advantage of quantum is its bipartisan support, and she expects that to continue.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s one of those things that everybody still agrees on,\u201d Campbell said.\n<\/p>\n

Even as the Trump administration proposed substantial cuts to the National Science Foundation in May, funding for quantum and AI research was explicitly preserved.\n<\/p>\n

As quantum receives more investments, researchers say the question becomes whether it can deliver practical applications before expectations outpace reality. According to Rolston, there\u2019s some tension between the slower pace of academic research and the faster promises of the quantum industry.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of hype in the quantum world, just like there is in AI,\u201d Rolston said. \u201cThe hype tends to come from industry rather than academia, because industry is chasing investment money.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

But researchers at this university haven\u2019t let the hype get in the way of their work studying quantum technology and its potential applications.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cMy hope is that in the next five years, let\u2019s say, we start to see applications that actually have sort of an economic value,\u201d Campbell said.
\n\"\"Yaxin Li, a graduate physics student at UMD, performs tests in a laboratory in the UMD Physical Sciences Complex on Oct. 30, 2025. (Will Swearingen\/The Diamondback)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Inside an underground lab in the University of Maryland\u2019s Physical Sciences Complex, physics professor Steven Rolston pointed toward…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":347121,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[199,79],"class_list":{"0":"post-347120","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-physics","8":"tag-physics","9":"tag-science"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/347120","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=347120"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/347120\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/347121"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=347120"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=347120"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=347120"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}