Arthur McMiler
Microsoft is opening a new quantum research center at the University of Maryland’s Discovery District. The company collaborated with the University of Maryland Enterprise Corp. and the state government in setting up the facility, Charles Tahan, Microsoft Quantum partner, said in a blog Wednesday.
The center will feature the company’s advanced quantum capabilities to provide an opportunity to unify state and federal leadership on the technology at the District of Columbia capital region, Tahan noted.
What Are the Center’s Features?
The center aims to serve as a cutting-edge space for hardware and software collaboration with government, academia and industry. The center’s facilities will include one of the first prototypes of Microsoft’s topological quantum computer, enabling its easy access to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s test and evaluation team. The company is one of the three companies that DARPA has selected to demonstrate concepts for designing quantum machines.
Tahan pointed out that Maryland has long been a U.S. hub for quantum research, hosting federal agencies, such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the National Security Agency. In addition, he said the Joint Quantum Institute at College Park has seeded more than a dozen institutes at the University of Maryland.
The Microsoft executive also cited the momentum provided by Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s “Capital of Quantum” Initiative.
