Montana State University’s (MSU) Quantum Collaborative Research and Education (QCORE) facility has been awarded a $31.5 million contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory to support research in quantum applications and the development of quantum materials, sensors, devices, and network systems.
According to the announcement, the contract will support research across the university, with more than 50 MSU faculty and staff affiliated with the facility mentoring students from disciplines including engineering, computer science, physics, chemistry, business, philosophy, and art.
Krishna Rupavatharam, QCORE’s chief technology officer and director of MSU’s Spectrum Lab, said the work will provide students with hands-on research and laboratory experience to prepare them for careers in industry and government.
“It opens doors for them to establish career paths with diverse, emerging, and established industry sectors, including the photonics, vacuum technology, cryogenics, and materials industries located in Montana,” Rupavatharam said.
QCORE was formed late last summer with an initial $26.7 million grant from the Air Force Research Laboratory to acquire specialized equipment for testing prototype quantum components.
The facility now includes test beds for quantum computing, sensing, and networks, along with equipment for materials synthesis and characterization and cryogenic facilities for testing components at extremely low temperatures.
Some of the new funding will be used to expand networking test beds, according to university officials.
