To maintain and expand the United States’ leadership in the global race for quantum technology, U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.), member of the Committee, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) introduced the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act, which would authorize $2.7 billion in federal funding to accelerate quantum research and development at federal science agencies for the next five years.

The Centre for Quantum and Society (CQS), in collaboration with Quantum Delta NL, has announced the launch of the Quantum for Good Challenges, accelerating the development of societally beneficial quantum applications ahead of the UN International Year of Quantum. For the next four years CQS will host annual multiple competitions to drive the advancement of quantum applications aimed at addressing major societal challenges.

Highlighting the integral role of science, technology and innovation in strengthening relations between Qatar and Canada, Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mitacs, a non-profit organization based at the University of British Columbia.

In a recent study published in Nature Physics, a team led by Associate Professor Shau-Yu Lan, at the Department of Physics, National Taiwan University, introduced an innovative method for producing quantum gases. By assembling and trapping atoms within a three-dimensional optical lattice and applying electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) with adiabatic expansion, they reached nearly 100% efficiency at a speed around 100 times faster than previous methods. This advance could significantly boost cold atom platforms for quantum sensing and computing.

In a new paper, scientists seeking better methods for controlling the quantum interactions between light and matter demonstrated a novel way to use light to give electrons a spinning kick. They reported the results of their experiment, which shows that a light beam can reliably transfer orbital angular momentum to itinerant electrons in graphene, on Nov. 26, 2024, in the journal Nature Photonics.

Advancing quantum science is a national priority of the federal government, and a proposal to establish the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Quantum Center has been awarded $3.5 million from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden and at the University of Magdeburg in Germany have developed a novel type of nanomechanical resonator that combines two important features: high mechanical quality and piezoelectricity. This development could open doors to new possibilities in quantum sensing technologies.

Tyndall has welcomed a cutting-edge quantum light source as part of QuanTour, a groundbreaking European science outreach project. This unique project, which is in anticipation of the UNESCO International Year of Quantum Science and Technology 2025, aims to inspire the public and shed light on the future of quantum communication.

QDNL Participations, the venture capital firm launched to accelerate the thriving Dutch quantum technology ecosystem with a €15 million fund, has signaled its wider ambitions for the future with a significant expansion of its team.

Two papers led by researchers from the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory received “Editor’s Choice” awards from the journal Future Generation Computer Systems.