Sandia Labs FY22 Laboratory Directed Research & Development Annual Report

microscopic sensors to try to understand the nature of quantum materials and their electrons’ behavior. He recently completed an LDRD project focused on establishing the technological foundation for a new class of solid-state, quantum light emitters in III-nitride semiconductors. With his DOE Early Career Award, Mounce hopes to understand the topological phase transitions of quantum materials “With these new capabilities and discoveries, the sky is the limit.” by leveraging diamond quantum sensors. “After the project is over, we’re going to have new techniques to make quantum sensors and new capabilities to use quantum sensors,” he said. “We’re also going to have new discoveries of how quantum materials work as seen by those quantum sensors. With these new capabilities and discoveries, the sky is the limit.”

quantum sensing results based on Rydberg-dressed interaction and initiated a new neutral-atom research area. The LDRD contributed to seven new research projects at Sandia, and partnership in the NSF Quantum Leap Challenge Institute program (Q-SEnSe). The project demonstrated the highest fidelity of two-qubit entangling until the new record was published in 2019 by Harvard University. While historical LDRD investments helped shape Sandia’s quantum landscape, current Andy Mounce makes microscopic sensors to try to understand quantum materials. He is also a recent recipient of a DOE Early Career Research Award. Read more about him here. LDRD research promises to keep Sandia at the forefront of the discipline. Two LDRD PIs were recently awarded DOE’s Early Career Research Award. Tim Proctor, a quantum physicist at Sandia, is currently leading an LDRD project to create the scientific foundations for scalable testing of quantum computers, by applying sophisticated and efficient data science techniques to quantum computing data. Since joining Sandia six years ago, Proctor has worked in the Quantum Performance Lab, a research group that develops and deploys cutting-edge techniques for assessing quantum computers. The Early Career Research Award will allow him to build his own team, and he’s excited to onboard and mentor other early career scientists. Andy Mounce, another recipient of a DOE Early Career Research Award, specializes in making

Chip-scale transceiver concept demonstrated in the Sandia Enabled Communications and Authentication Network using Quantum Key Distribution Grand Challenge.

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LABORATORY DIRECTED RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT