JAGS

Oxford Ionics highlights quantum computing’s connections to Boulder in third JAGS Industry Spotlight Seminar

Steven Burrows — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 20:36:13 +0000

Oxford Ionics highlights quantum computing’s connections to Boulder in third JAGS Industry Spotlight Seminar Steven Burrows Thu, 10/02/2025 - 14:36

Keegan Finger , JILA Graduate Student

On October 2^nd, Oxford Ionics joined nearly 100 graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, and faculty from JILA, CU, and NIST to highlight some of their recent advancements in quantum computing in the third installment of the JILA Association of Graduate Students (JAGS) Industry Spotlight seminars. This seminar, given by Dr. David Allcock, highlighted the pivotal role that Boulder has played in forging the path towards large, fast, and robust quantum computing systems.

Quantum computers at Oxford Ionics take advantage of stable on-chip circuits developed in part by teams at NIST Boulder to trap and control ions. The problem with quantum computers, pointed out by Dr. Allcock, is that they need to be bigger, faster, and stronger (more robust) to compete with conventional computers. “Quantum computers can solve some problems much faster than classical computers thanks to their efficiency, not their clock speed,” said Dr. Allcock about the so-called quantum computing speed challenge, which Oxford Ionics is actively working to solve. The teams at Oxford Ionics identified the primary limiting factors in clock speed of cooling and transporting the qubits, both of which are mitigated by the development of the new 2 qubit gate scheme, dubbed the Smooth gate. The use of this new gate enables a 10 to 100 times speed-up, moving quantum computers a step closer to competing with classical computers.

During the seminar, Dr. Allcock posed the philosophical question of whether quantum computing is a tool or a toy. From the company’s perspective, trapped ion quantum computing is a technological tool with an integration challenge. By leveraging the existing semiconductor supply chain, the teams at Oxford Ionics can prioritize early integration of key functionalities, such as very high “set-and-forget” source stabilities, to put quantum computing on a highway to large-scale adoption.

This Industry Spotlight Seminar came at an important time for Oxford Ionics and quantum scientists in Boulder alike, coinciding with announcement of the acquisition of Oxford Ionics by IonQ and the opening of a new Boulder office. This new office, led by JILA and CU alum Dr. Bryce Bjork, presents exciting job opportunities for graduate students and post-doctoral researchers at CU, JILA, and NIST. In Boulder, Oxford Ionics is putting together a new team of quantum scientists, spearheaded by Dr. Steven Moses, another JILA alum, to focus on full system integration for a 256-qubit computer.

After the seminar, attendees had the opportunity to deepen their understanding of Oxford Ionics’s work and their relationship with lead Oxford Ionics scientists through an informal networking session. During this networking session, Drs. Bjork and Moses were able to reconnect with their research mentors, and all three scientists from Oxford Ionics worked to further their connections at JILA, NIST, and CU, reaffirming the close ties between quantum science industry and academia in Boulder. Along with their participation in this seminar, Oxford Ionics donated funds to support a JAGS Graduate Student Seminar, a seminar series enabling graduate students to hone their presentation skills and foster collaboration across various research areas.

On October 2nd, Oxford Ionics joined nearly 100 graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, and faculty from JILA, CU, and NIST to highlight some of their recent advancements in quantum computing in the third installment of the JILA Association of Graduate Students (JAGS) Industry Spotlight seminars. This seminar, given by Dr. David Allcock, highlighted the pivotal role that Boulder has played in forging the path towards large, fast, and robust quantum computing systems.

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Miami Marlins Coach and former JILAn Dr. Aaron Leanhardt knocks it out of the park

Steven Burrows — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 20:32:25 +0000

Miami Marlins Coach and former JILAn Dr. Aaron Leanhardt knocks it out of the park Steven Burrows Mon, 09/15/2025 - 14:32

Emma Nelson / JAGS

On Monday, September 15th, 2025, MLB Marlins coach and former JILAn, Dr. Aaron Leanhardt, gave the first Life After JILA talk of the fall semester, with a record-breaking turnout for the seminar series. Over 60 JILAns, including PIs, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and undergraduate students, attended Dr. Leanhardt’s talk about his journey from academia to professional baseball. Dr. Leanhardt got his PhD from MIT and then joined the Cornell group as a postdoc in 2003, staying until 2007 when he became an Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan. After 7 years as a professor, he left academia to coach baseball, landing a job in the Yankees' minor league system in 2018. After working with the Yankees for 6 years in various coaching roles, he started as the Marlins' field coordinator for the 2025 MLB season.

Dr. Leanhardt started his baseball career much earlier than 2018, playing in a recreational softball league with other JILAns while he was a postdoctoral researcher. He chose 19 as his jersey number for the league because it is the atomic weight of fluorine, and, at that point, the Cornell group was using the hafnium fluoride ion to measure the electron's electric dipole moment. His current Marlins jersey number is also a reference to his postdoctoral research; 72, his number, is the atomic number of hafnium. He joked that he would change his number to 90 if the Cornell group beat the limit on the error in the electric dipole moment with Thorium, earning a loud laugh from the audience.

Near the end of his time with the Yankees, Dr. Leanhardt developed the torpedo bat, an innovative design that puts the largest part of the bat in the middle, where the player hits the ball. Crucially, the torpedo bat weighs the same as a standard bat, as required by MLB regulations, which has led to its adoption by many players in the league. At the beginning of the 2025 season, Dr. Leanhardt switched teams, becoming the field coordinator for the Miami Marlins, where he develops drills to help players improve their performance. He analyzes game and training data to help identify skills that need improvement and then uses physics education research techniques to devise creative exercises to communicate those skills to the players. During the talk, he referenced different physics experiences he brought to baseball, making analogies to concepts such as an overdamped spring.

During the Q&A, Dr. Leanhardt was asked multiple times about his journey from physics to baseball. One attendee asked how JILA compares to the MLB, and Dr. Leanhardt explained how both jobs involve problem-solving, but that they focus on distinct types of problems. He also used the Q&A as an opportunity to teach the audience some baseball slang, explaining the term “standardized mud,” which refers to the league-approved type of mud that pitchers rub on the baseball, or “pearl,” before pitching. After many questions and lots of laughs, Leanhardt joined some attendees at the Sink, where he shared more about his career path from physics to baseball.

MLB Marlins coach and former JILAn, Dr. Aaron Leanhardt, gave the first Life After JILA talk of the fall semester, with a record-breaking turnout for the seminar series. Over 60 JILAns, including PIs, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and undergraduate students, attended Dr. Leanhardt’s talk about his journey from academia to professional baseball.

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Second JAGS Industry Spotlight Seminar shines light on neutral atom computing

Steven Burrows — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 19:09:33 +0000

Second JAGS Industry Spotlight Seminar shines light on neutral atom computing Steven Burrows Mon, 07/14/2025 - 13:09

Emma Nelson / JAGS

JAGS Atom Computing Seminar

On Wednesday, May 14th, over 115 students, postdoctoral researchers, staff, research scientists, and principal investigators attended the second Industry Spotlight Seminar, surpassing the record-breaking attendance from the inaugural event in this series the month prior. This seminar, hosted by JAGS, featured two current employees (and former JILAns) from Atom Computing, a Colorado quantum computing company founded in 2018 by JILA alumni and former Ye group member, Dr. Benjamin Bloom. Like the first Industry Spotlight Seminar, attendees came from JILA, NIST, the University of Colorado Boulder’s Physics and Engineering departments, and other departments at the university.

Two former JILAns, Dr. Matthew Norcia, the Director of Quantum Engineering, and Dr. William Cairncross, the Quantum Engineering Manager, both now at Atom Computing, spoke with students and postdoctoral researchers at the event. Dr. Norcia presented the seminar, which included both an overview of the company and a technical presentation about neutral atom quantum computing. Atom Computing uses the nuclear spin of 171-Ytterbium atoms as qubits in their quantum computer, holding the record for the largest neutral atom computer at 1,225 qubits.

During the Q&A, attendees interested in potential job opportunities asked how the day-to-day at Atom Computing compared to research work at an institute like JILA. The audience also raised questions about the future of neutral atom computing and Atom Computing’s unique technology.

After the conclusion of the Q&A, Dr. Norcia and Dr. Cairncross joined graduate students and postdoctoral researchers at the JILA HBar, where attendees could learn more about the research performed at the company. Many stayed for close to an hour, asking the speakers about their personal experience, the work environment at the company, and how the research done at ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� compares to the work done at Atom Computing.

Luca Talamo, a JILA graduate student approaching graduation, said that he “learned about exciting industry research that’s happening locally and had a very pleasant conversation with Will Cairncross afterwards. The message that [Talamo] took home was that Atom’s employees are immersed in a dynamic and exciting research environment almost daily.”

The goal of the JAGS Industry Spotlight Seminar series is to connect graduate students and postdoctoral researchers with Colorado industries, so they can learn about cutting-edge industry research and local job opportunities. Along with their participation in this seminar, Atom Computing donated funds to support a JAGS Graduate Student Seminar, a seminar series enabling graduate students to hone their presentation skills and foster collaboration across various research areas.

When asked about the seminar, Dr. Norcia said, “It was great to be back at JILA, and very valuable for Atom Computing to have a chance to engage with the research community at JILA.”

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Inaugural JAGS Industry Spotlight Seminar Encourages Record-High Attendance

Steven Burrows — Fri, 02 May 2025 16:03:35 +0000

Inaugural JAGS Industry Spotlight Seminar Encourages Record-High Attendance Steven Burrows Fri, 05/02/2025 - 10:03

Emma Nelson / JAGS

JAGS Industry Spotlight Seminar

On April 16^th, over 100 graduate students, undergraduate students, postdoctoral researchers, staff, research scientists, and PIs attended the first JILA Association of Graduate Students (JAGS) Industry Spotlight.

This event featured a technical talk and networking with Quantinuum, a quantum computing company with a Boulder location and a major employer of JILA alumni. The seminar’s record-breaking attendance reflected both the excitement at JILA, NIST, and the University of Colorado Boulder about Boulder’s growing quantum industry hub and the large body of research at CU that overlaps with Quantinuum’s technology.

Thanmay Menon, a member of JAGS leadership, hopes that this event series “will help JILA strengthen its connection to the thriving quantum industry here at Colorado while investing in the long-term success of its graduates.”

Three Quantinuum employees, and also former JILAns, gave technical presentations on the company’s history, recent work, and future goals. Dr. John Gaebler, the Chief Scientist of Commercial Products, gave the technical presentation, starting with a timeline of the advances in the field of quantum charge-coupled devices (QCCD). The technical seminar focused on the systems Quantinuum has released, including their newest quantum computing system, the System Model H2, which folds the computing architecture into a ring shape to enable it to contain 52 fully connected ytterbium-171 qubits, a record for trapped-ion computing.

JAGS Industry Spotlight Seminar

Dr. Stephen Erickson, the R&D Manager, and Dr. Russel Stutz, the Senior Director of Product Technologies, participated in the seminar’s Q&A and the informal networking session afterward. During the Q&A, the speakers discussed the technical details of QCCD systems and the future of the field.

After the conclusion of the seminar, the speakers and attendees continued their discussions in the JILA h-Bar during an informal networking session with snacks and sodas. Attendees talked to Quantinuum representatives for over an hour, asking more specific questions about many different aspects of the technology that Gaebler presented on, with many eager to figure out how their current research fits in with Quantinuum’s innovative technology.

Ben Hunt, a ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� graduate student working at NIST, stayed until the event's end and thought it “offered an extremely valuable opportunity to get an in-depth look at the work being done in the Boulder quantum ecosystem and to connect CU students with industry members.”

As JILA alumni, the speakers also enjoyed the opportunity to reconnect with former labmates and mentors from JILA and NIST.

This event is the first of many Industry Spotlight seminars hosted by JAGS featuring local companies.

JAGS Industry Spotlight Seminar

“[We’re] hopeful this [will be] the start of a closer relationship with Quantinuum and other local companies,” said Keegan Finger, one of the event organizers and a member of JAGS leadership.

JAGS’s goal of the Industry Spotlight event series is to foster connections between JILA, Physics, NIST, and Engineering and the local quantum, optics, and photonics ecosystem. In addition to their participation in the Industry Spotlight, Quantinuum made a generous donation to support JAGS's initiatives to build a stronger community of students and researchers across Boulder.

The inaugural seminar had a significant impact on its attendees, particularly the graduate students, with JILA graduate student Iona Binnie mentioning that “[The seminar was a] really fantastic idea for an event and I hope we can do more like that in the future.”

On April 16th, over 100 graduate students, undergraduate students, postdoctoral researchers, staff, research scientists, and PIs attended the first JILA Association of Graduate Students (JAGS) Industry Spotlight.

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JILA JAGS Hosts First Graduate Student Seminar Series

Steven Burrows — Tue, 23 Jul 2024 19:26:59 +0000

JILA JAGS Hosts First Graduate Student Seminar Series Steven Burrows Tue, 07/23/2024 - 13:26

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry / JILA Science Communicator

JILA graduate student Anya Grafov (left) introduces graduate student speaker Jeremy Thurston for the inaugural JAGS Seminar Series.

The JILA Association of Graduate Students (JAGS) proudly hosted its inaugural Graduate Student Seminar, marking the beginning of a promising seminar series to foster academic exchange, collaboration, and community within JILA. The event showcased the cutting-edge research conducted by three JILA graduate students, drawing an audience of over 70 graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and staff members.

"I'm extremely happy, and a little surprised, with the turnout,” explained JILA graduate student Keegan Finger, a member of the JAGS leadership team. “I think it goes to show how interested everyone at JILA is in understanding what research is going on at JILA."

Jeremy Thurston, from the groups of JILA Fellows and ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� Physics professors Margaret Murnane and Henry Kapteyn, opened the seminar with his research on “Efficient Generation of VUV Harmonic Combs at MHz Repetition Rates.” Thurston's talk explored the generation of vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) harmonic combs, a breakthrough with significant implications for high-precision spectroscopy and other advanced optical technologies.

Following Thurston, John D. Wilson, from the group of JILA Fellow and ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� Physics professor Murray Holland, presented his talk on “Optimal Generators for Quantum Sensing.” Wilson's presentation delved into innovative methods for enhancing quantum sensing technologies, emphasizing the potential applications in various scientific fields.

The seminar concluded with Leon Chan's presentation on “The Variability Crisis of Sagittarius A*.” Chan, from the group of JILA Fellow and Professor of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences at ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� Mitch Begelman, discussed the enigmatic fluctuations in the brightness of Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy.

The inaugural Graduate Student Seminar by JAGS highlighted the exceptional research being conducted at JILA and reinforced the institute's commitment to supporting and showcasing the work of its graduate students. The success of this event promises an exciting future for the seminar series, fostering a vibrant academic community within JILA.

"We are excited to bring this opportunity for students to present their work and to connect with other researchers across JILA,” added JILA graduate student and one of JAGS leading members Anya Grafov. “We hope that this new seminar series will not only give students valuable presentation experience, but will also bring the JILA community closer together."

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