The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) announced 10 selections for the Quantum Computing for Computational Chemistry (QC3) program. Five of the 10 projects—representing over $16M in funding—are being led by corporate partners of the Chicago Quantum Exchange (CQE).
Xanadu, PsiQuantum, Infleqtion, Quantinuum, and CQE core partner Boeing will use this funding for quantum computing projects that may solve pivotal problems beyond the reach of classical computers, developing and applying quantum algorithms to accelerate simulations of chemistry and materials science. The diversity of types of quantum computers among the projects showcases the breadth of quantum computing work being done in the CQE community.
“Seeing half of the ARPA-E QC3 awards concentrated within the Chicago Quantum Exchange network is a clear validation of the industrial ecosystem we’ve built here,” said David Awschalom, the Liew Family Professor of Molecular Engineering and Physics at the University of Chicago and the director of the CQE. “It proves that the Midwest is no longer just a research hub—it’s the primary engine moving quantum technology out of the lab and into the real world.”
- Boeing will aim to develop a new method for modeling material corrosion (i.e., rust). The team seeks to improve material durability across a range of aerospace, steel, and electric battery applications, with the goal of delivering corrosion rate predictions up to 100x faster and more accurate than state-of-the-art approaches.
- Infleqtion, a planned tenant of the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP), will use their neutral atom quantum computer and a pioneering new algorithm to improve understanding of superconductivity and discover new, previously unknown, superconductor materials. (Read Infleqtion’s release.)
- PsiQuantum, anchor tenant of the IQMP, will develop fault-tolerant quantum computing workflows which integrate quantum chemistry simulations, classical computation, and high-throughput experiments to design new catalysts for direct conversion of methane to methanol.
- Quantinuum will develop quantum algorithms optimized for its trapped ion quantum computer hardware, targeting dynamical simulations for improved hydrogen fuel cells and electrolyzers. These devices could enable production of low-cost hydrogen as a fuel and chemical feedstock.
- Xanadu, in partnership with the University of Chicago, will focus on developing quantum algorithms to study key processes of defect formations in battery materials. These simulations will yield critical data essential for accelerating the development of batteries with higher energy densities and extended longevity. (Read Xanadu’s release and UChicago’s release.)