Subscribe to Pittwire Today
Get the most interesting and important stories from the University of Pittsburgh.Scientific, academic and political leadership came together on May 4 to celebrate the opening of a laboratory facility that marks a major investment in advanced technology and science for the region. The Western Pennsylvania Quantum Information Core (WPQIC) is backed by $11.6 million in support from the inaugural investment by Pitt’s Strategic Advancement Fund.
On hearing the phrase “quantum science,” many people prepare to be baffled. Fundamentally, the field underlies explanations of matter and how it behaves. Technology based on quantum techniques and principles pervades modern life.
“Quantum science is a field that is both very important and very hard to explain,” said Senior Vice Chancellor for Research Rob A. Rutenbar. “Quantum science is at the heart of technology our society relies on every minute — the laser, transistor, semiconductor, MRI imaging, electron microscopy — and new applications are invented daily. This requires investment. WPQIC’s rare capabilities will help push the entire region to become a center for discovery and innovation.”
Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor emphasized the need for all regional players to advance technology that promises economic and educational gains for the region. “Pittsburgh has been able to thrive in large part because of its ability to develop and embrace cutting-edge technology. Institutions in this region have built a rare concentration of talent,” he said. “Our job in government is to cultivate and capitalize on that talent. This investment represents the way Pittsburgh will grow and develop new industries that will benefit everyone in the region.”
Along with Rutenbar and O’Connor, Pitt Chancellor Joan Gabel helped cut the ribbon at Monday’s event. “We understand the vital role of quantum science within so much of the research and technology that Pitt creates. Quantum technology is at the top of our priorities, and our investment in this amazing facility makes that clear,” she said.
[Pitt joined the Keystone AI + Quantum Factory to drive innovation and jobs across Pennsylvania.]
Also participating in the ribbon-cutting were Michele Manuel, U. S. Steel Dean of Engineering for the Swanson School of Engineering; Adam Leibovich, Bettye J. and Ralph E. Bailey Dean of the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences and College of General Studies; Bruce R. Childers, dean of the School of Computing and Information; and former Chancellor Pat Gallagher, Distinguished Professor in the Dietrich School’s Department of Physics and Astronomy.
Quantum science requires specialized, sensitive and costly instruments to create and work within delicate conditions, including cold environments kept below 270 degrees Celsius.
WPQIC includes cryogenic magnetic equipment, high-powered microscopes and dilution refrigerators crucial for quantum research. Researchers in one space will be able to synthesize, fabricate and characterize a material’s structure and properties under extreme conditions. It is a complete research ecosystem in one space.
Following the ribbon-cutting, guests toured the laboratory. Graduate students and faculty described its capabilities and their own research, giving civic and industry leaders a direct view of how frontier quantum instrumentation translates into scientific progress and regional opportunity.
WPQIC represents more than a decade of Pitt’s commitment to partnerships in quantum science and industry commercialization. In 2013, the University co-founded the Pittsburgh Quantum Initiative, a collaboration spanning Pitt, Carnegie Mellon University and Duquesne University.
“WPQIC makes sense for Pitt, which has long been dedicated to innovative quantum information science and engineering research and now offers one of the nation’s first undergraduate degree programs in quantum computing,” explained Rob Cunningham, vice chancellor for research infrastructure.
Directed by Sergey Frolov, a professor in the Dietrich School’s Department of Physics and Astronomy and a leading researcher in quantum materials and devices, the facility is open to Pitt researchers, regional academic partners and industry collaborators.
Photography by Aimee Obidzinski