Returning JQI Fellow Named New Director of National Quantum Laboratory

Norbert Linke has returned to JQI after a stint as an associate professor at Duke University. Before moving to Duke, Linke was a researcher at JQI from 2015 to 2022, first as a postdoctoral scholar and then as a JQI Fellow. Now, he is once again leading his own research group at JQI and has also taken a new role as the director of the National Quantum Laboratory (QLab) at the University of Maryland (UMD).

QLab began in 2021 as a partnership between UMD and the quantum computing company IonQ. It nurtures relationships with research groups and companies that have quantum computers and helps educators, researchers, and entrepreneurs access those quantum computers and the expertise needed to use them. QLab’s mission is to advance the field of quantum computing by giving a broad community access to the wealth of expertise and technology concentrated at and around UMD. Connecting people with the resources provides opportunities to explore interesting ideas, like testing out new quantum algorithms, which are the pieces of software that run on a quantum computer.

“In terms of quantum, we have everything here,” says Linke, who is also the IonQ endowed professor of physics at UMD and a senior investigator at the National Science Foundation Quantum Leap Challenge Institute for Robust Quantum Simulation. “We have the experts in quantum error correction and all the domains of applications: high energy physics, chemistry, computer science. And we have hardware expertise in trapped ions and neutral atoms and superconducting qubits and photonics. So this is a natural place where all these things flow together, and we have the backing from the state government and from various federal agencies.”

When arranging access to a company’s quantum computer, QLab helps pay for the time using the machine. Local researchers can gain access to QLab resources by becoming QLab fellows, while individuals from around the world can apply for access through a global user program. QLab also has a seed grant program to support UMD researchers and educators with a promising idea for a small project or way to develop the quantum computing workforce. Linke says that QLab’s approach naturally brings together quantum researchers and fosters an environment that encourages them to consult with each other and begin collaborations.

QLab isn’t just for quantum computing researchers; it is also working with people in fields like image recognition, finance and medical research to explore how quantum computers might be beneficial to their fields and help them get their footing when working with quantum technology. Past projects that QLab has supported include research using quantum computers to investigate new materials for use in batteries, internships for undergraduate and master’s students, and a program where UMD undergraduate students study the intersection of machine learning and quantum computing.

QLab can help connect individuals with experts to refine their ideas and get them running on a company’s specialized equipment once they have access. Linke says that the interactions of researchers producing new quantum algorithms with the companies and labs developing quantum computers are beneficial for both sides. It allows the companies to determine how their devices behave when tackling real problems and what improvements are most needed to deliver useful results in the near future. On the other side, researchers get to test their work and make sure it is grounded in the technologies currently being developed.

“Anyone who's thinking of trying some quantum applications, it's worth reaching out and seeing if it can be tested,” Linke says. “The goal in the end is maybe this will turn into a startup that you found later on, or it may turn into a major research initiative that a grant giving agency might fund, and so on. But the first idea is to just allow people's ideas to be tested on real quantum hardware.”

Linke is taking over the QLab leadership role from Franz Klein, the founding director of the lab, who is staying on to manage company relationships and other QLab projects. Thomas Barthel, a condensed matter theorist who likewise moved from Duke to UMD, is also helping run QLab. Barthel is an Affiliate Professor of Physics and acts at QLab as a Research project manager and coordinates outreach and communications.

As Linke leads QLab, he’ll be continuing his own quantum computing research. He leads an experimental research group studying trapped-ion quantum computers, which employ individual charged atoms—ions—as their basic building blocks. The group works to improve the ways that ions are manipulated and utilized in quantum computations and to develop new technologies.

The improvements they’ve made help make quantum computers less prone to errors. Linke and his colleagues also develop new ways to use the ions. For instance he has partnered with colleagues who study nuclear physics to develop new quantum simulations to investigate the basic particles that make up reality. 

Linke has also been working with colleagues on developing a quantum network, called the Mid-Atlantic Regional Quantum Internet, to allow multiple quantum computers to communicate over a quantum network similar to the internet. He is planning for QLab to eventually provide access to the network and allow researchers to test quantum networking ideas using it.

Linke’s various research projects have benefitted from the colleagues and the infrastructure he has access to at UMD. In his role at QLab, he is now sharing those valuable resources with a broader community to help advance quantum computing along multiple fronts.

“Linke’s expertise and leadership will be invaluable as we continue to push the boundaries of quantum computing and foster a collaborative environment for innovation,” said Jeffrey K. Hollingsworth, vice president of information technology and chief information officer at UMD, in an announcement of Linke’s return.

Story by Bailey Bedford