Awschalom group (UChicago / Argonne)
- Institution
- University of Chicago
- Lab / Centre
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering · Argonne National Laboratory
- Also
- Q-NEXT (DOE National Quantum Information Science Research Center, Argonne lead)
- Location
- Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Group website
- https://pme.uchicago.edu/group/awschalom-group
The Awschalom group works on colour-centre quantum networking, quantum memories, and quantum sensing using diamond NV centres and silicon carbide divacancy / silicon-vacancy defects. The group operates the Chicago-area entanglement testbed on Argonne dark fibre — among the longest land-based quantum links in the United States — and pioneered SiC as a CMOS-compatible spin-qubit platform alongside diamond NV. David Awschalom is the inaugural director (now chief science officer) of Q-NEXT, the DOE National Quantum Information Science Research Center led by Argonne.
Current focus: Spintronics and solid-state quantum information science — Per the group's own framing (pme.uchicago.edu): spintronics, solid-state, and molecular quantum information science for computing, sensing, and communication, combining quantum optics with electron-spin resonance, materials engineering, and nanofabrication.
Milestones
- 2024 Spin-photon entanglement generated in silicon carbide paper
- 2024 Silicon-on-silicon-carbide platform for wafer-scale integrated quantum photonics paper
- 2022-04 Five-second coherence of a single SiC defect spin with single-shot readout paper
- 2020-08 Chicago-area 52-mile quantum entanglement testbed first runs on Argonne dark fibre press
- 2020-08 DOE awards Argonne $115M over five years to lead Q-NEXT National QIS Research Center press
- 2016-09 Divacancy spins in 4H-SiC reach 1.3 ms Hahn-echo coherence in a natural-isotope crystal paper
- 2011-11 Room-temperature coherent control of defect spin qubits in silicon carbide paper
People
- David D. Awschalom — Principal Investigator (Liew Family Professor of Molecular Engineering, UChicago; Argonne senior scientist; Q-NEXT inaugural director, now Chief Science Officer) (since 2013) ↗
Funding
- DOE Office of Science — Q-NEXT National QIS Research Center — Founding 2020 award $115M / 5 yr; renewed 2025 at $125M / 5 yr
- DOE Office of Science — Basic Energy Sciences — Funds the Chicago-area entanglement testbed and SiC / NV materials programmes
- National Science Foundation (NSF) — Long-running programme grants including the Chicago MRSEC and Quantum Leap Challenge Institutes
- Army Research Office (ARO) — Spin-defect and quantum-network programme grants
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) — Fundamental quantum-materials and spin-photonics grants
References
- Koehl et al. Nature 479, 84 (2011) — room-temperature coherent control of SiC defect spin qubits (paper)
- Christle et al. Nat. Commun. 7, 12935 (2016) — 1.3 ms Hahn-echo coherence of 4H-SiC divacancy spins (paper)
- Anderson et al. Sci. Adv. 8, eabm5912 (2022) — five-second single-spin coherence in SiC with single-shot readout (paper)
- PRL 132, 160801 (2024) — spin-photon entanglement in silicon carbide (paper)
- DeVault et al. Adv. Opt. Mater. (2024) — silicon-on-silicon-carbide platform for integrated photonics (paper)
- DOE selects Argonne to lead Q-NEXT (2020, $115M / 5 yr) (press)
- Q-NEXT renewed Nov 2025 ($125M / 5 yr); Awschalom transitions to Chief Science Officer, Martin Holt becomes Director (press)