More than 150 attendees, including researchers, governmental leaders, and industry partners in quantum information science and technology gathered in Albuquerque recently as The University of New Mexico hosted its second Quantum New Mexico Symposium in hopes of creating awareness and gaining state-wide support behind quantum information science and technology.
“This symposium will prove why New Mexico is the best place to be right now for quantum science because we have all the resources we need to lead,” said Ellen Fisher, vice president for research. “Researchers gathering from across the state sends a clear message to the State of New Mexico and beyond our state lines that our future as a leader in quantum science technology is promising and bright when we work together.”
The morning session focused on New Mexico’s growing efforts in catalyzing the new quantum economy, with the launch of Elevate Quantum, the Mountain West Tech Hub which, through a federal EDA award, unlocked more than $127M to secure US leadership in quantum technology. An industrial panel with representatives from leading companies addressed the question, “why quantum?” and “why New Mexico?”
“New Mexico will be forever known as the state in the third wave of critical technology,” Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said. “We will create the next set of innovations that rural states need … We can do it better, we can do it faster, and we can lead a technology revolution.”
Lujan Grisham also challenged researchers and scientists in the room to use the symposium as an opportunity to identify and define the “state guardrails” that pose interference with building a quantum ecosystem.
Jenni Strabley, vice president and general manager of Quantinuum, a leading company in quantum computing delivered a talk entitled “Why New Mexico Checks all Boxes,” emphasizing New Mexico’s strong potential as a quantum technology hub.
“As the established leader in quantum computing, Quantinuum finds a perfect match in New Mexico,” Strabley said. “The state offers a vibrant technology ecosystem and a talented workforce that fits naturally with our needs.”
Attendees spent the afternoon engaging and collaborating in several panels to also celebrate the launch of the Quantum New Mexico Institute (QNM-I), which will form the core organization to grow the quantum ecosystem through research, education, workforce development, and partnerships with industry.
“I am proud of the launch of the Quantum New Mexico Institute,” said New Mexico Senator Martin Heinrich. “Quantum New Mexico has formalized a partnership between researchers and students at The University of New Mexico and Sandia Labs. Hopefully, very soon this partnership will include Los Alamos.”
The day also included a keynote address from UNM Distinguished Professor Emeritus Carl Caves, who is credited for creating the QIS program at the University with Distinguished Professor Ivan Deutsch, QNM-I’s founding director.
“We hear some people throw around the term ‘quantum sensing,’” said Deutsch. “Quantum sensing is the idea that we can see the tiniest of signals in the universe by manipulating the noise that quantum mechanics dictates. Well, Professor Caves is responsible for inventing that idea.”
Attendees engaged in education and workforce development panels. One included more than 60 UNM alumni, many of whom are toady’s Quantum leaders. They discussed their experiences as researchers and reminisced about how the community and scientific integrity at the Center for Quantum Information and Control prepared them for their chosen paths. Another panel included leaders from Central New Mexico and Sandia National Labs whose QCaMP and QuLL programs provide technical training as well as hands-on training for high school students and teachers.
“The biggest takeaway of the symposium is that New Mexico has been a pioneer in quantum information science and engineering for more than 30 years which laid the foundation for the second quantum revolution,” Deutsch said. “New Mexico is now poised to realize its potential as a global leader in quantum research and innovation, and become a juggernaut in a new quantum-tech economy.”
“The collaborative investment, we witnessed during the symposium in interdisciplinary research puts us at the forefront of the second quantum revolution,” Fisher said. “To continue to level up and accelerate development of quantum information science and technology, to lead in this burgeoning industry, we must continue to build on the foundation, strengthen the collaborations and partnerships, and welcome investment from the federal government, our local and state leaders, and our industry partners. Lastly, we must continue to invest in ourselves, as pioneering researchers.”