By merging talent and experience from three institutions -- UMD, NIST and the Laboratory for Physical Sciences (LPS) -- the JQI collaboration provides a unique combination of strengths in atomic, molecular and optical physics and condensed matter physics.

JQI's three primary scientific disciplines are:

1. atomic, molecular and optical physics (such as ultra-cold atomic gases, matter wave optics, quantum optics and optical lattices), a major area of expertise at NIST and a growing strength at UMD;
   
2. condensed matter physics (such as quantum dots and superconductivity), an area of expertise at UMD and LPS; and
   
3. quantum information science (such as quantum measurement theory, quantum computation and quantum communication), areas of expertise at both NIST and UMD. The NSA is a long-standing supporter of and collaborator in research in these fields.

JQI thus combines a government laboratory's emphasis on developing practical metrology tools directed at national needs with an academic focus on scientific exploration.