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The second quantum revolution is underway, a period marked by significant advances in quantum technology, and huge discoveries within quantum science. From tech giants like Google and IBM, who build their own quantum computers, to quantum network startups like Aliro Quantum, companies are eager to profit from this revolution. However, doing so takes a new type of workforce, one trained in quantum physics and quantum technology. The skillset required for this occupation is unique, and few universities expose students to real-world quantum technology.

One of the major strengths of JILA are the frequent and ongoing collaborations between experimentalists and theorists, which have led to incredible discoveries in physics. One of these partnerships is between JILA Fellow John Bohn and JILA and NIST Fellow Jun Ye. Bohn's team of theorists has partnered with Ye's experimentalist laboratory for nearly twenty years, from the very beginning of Ye’s cold molecule research when he became a JILA Fellow. Recently in their collaborations, the researchers have been studying a three-dimensional molecular gas made of 40K87Rb molecules. In a paper published in Nature Physics, the combined team illustrated new quantum mechanical tricks in making this gas unreactive, thus enjoying a long life (for a gas), while at the same time letting the molecules in the gas interact and socialize (thermalize) with each other.

Congratulations to JILA Fellow Dana Anderson for winning the 2021 Willis E Lamb award for Laser Science and Quantum Optics.

JILA Fellow Shuo Sun has been awarded an NSF Quantum Interconnect Challenges for Transformational Advances in Quantum Systems (QuIC-TAQS) grant. The grant's purpose is to support interdisciplinary teams exploring innovative and unique ideas for applying and developing quantum engineering, computing, and science in the specific area of quantum interconnection. Quantum interconnection is a part of quantum communications.

Jun Ye, fellow at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and professor adjoint of physics at ���Ҵ�ý�ƽ������, has been awarded the 2022 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics for his pioneering research on atomic clocks. Ye has been a physicist at JILA, a joint institute of NIST and ���Ҵ�ý�ƽ������, for more than 20 years.

Shuo Sun, assistant professor of physics at the University of Colorado Boulder, and Kyle Luh, assistant professor of mathematics, and their fellow recipients will receive $5,000 in seed money for the 2021-22 academic year to enhance their research as they launch their academic careers. Each recipient’s institution matches the award, and winners may use the $10,000 grants to purchase equipment, continue research or travel to professional meetings.

Two physicists at the University of Colorado Boulder and Colorado School of Mines have received a $1 million grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation to develop a first-of-its-kind quantum simulator that could be used to develop novel materials and, in the future, lead to the development of a high-performance quantum computer.

The word “quantum” can be mysterious and unfamiliar to the general public. Most of the public’s exposure to quantum technology has been Hollywoodized and framed as a “catch-all” for hard-to-define scientific processes. This misunderstanding causes problems, as quantum technology is quickly being developed and commercialized. With the  “boom” in quantum technology predicted by experts, it is important to realize the repercussions of this misunderstanding. Particularly, writers, scientists, and citizens need to be aware of how to communicate and invoke to the public, an appreciation of the true science of quantum physics.

The Department of Commerce is proud to join the Nation in recognizing the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, also known as Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. Observed annually in May, AANHPI Heritage Month is a time to reflect upon and celebrate the remarkable role of the AANHPI community in our Nation’s history. It also is a time to recognize all the many contributions and achievements within the AAHNPI community that have had a positive impact on our Nation.

The 2021 Julius Springer Award for Applied Physics is awarded to Professor Jun Ye for pioneering research in fundamental quantum interactions of elemental matter and light, exploiting precision optical spectroscopy and laser-lattice atomic traps.