About the Quantum Quintet
The Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems (SQMS) Center is one of five Department of Energy National Quantum Information Science Research Centers (NQISRC), created to enable scientific advances through a coordinated, center-scale approach that no single institution can accomplish alone.
Together, the centers strengthen and connect the U.S. quantum ecosystem by bringing cross-institutional teams together around shared tools and world-class DOE national lab resources and by building pathways that move ideas from fundamental research toward applied R&D and measurable outcomes, including workforce development and cross-sector collaboration.
Renewed by DOE in 2025 with $625 million in awards, the five centers’ strategically coordinated missions complement one another while advancing U.S. competitiveness and long-term leadership in quantum information science and technology.
Co-design Center for Quantum Advantage (C2QA)
Director: Chuck Black
Lead Institution: Brookhaven National Laboratory
C2QA’s integrated five-year goal is to deliver a factor-of-10 improvement in software optimization, underlying materials and device properties, and quantum error correction and to ensure these improvements combine to provide a factor-of-1,000 improvement in appropriate metrics for computation and communication.
Q-NEXT
Director: Martin Holt
Lead Institution: Argonne National Laboratory
Q-NEXT brings together world-class researchers from national laboratories, universities and technology companies with the goal of developing the science and technology to control and distribute quantum information. Q-NEXT develops networks of sensors and secure communications systems, creates materials for scalable quantum devices, and trains the next-generation quantum-ready workforce to ensure continued U.S. scientific and economic leadership in the rapidly advancing field of quantum information science.
Quantum Systems Accelerator (QSA)
Director: Bert de Jong
Lead Institution: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
QSA is led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) with Sandia National Laboratories as lead partner. QSA will catalyze national leadership in quantum information science to co-design the algorithms, quantum devices and engineering solutions needed to deliver a certified quantum advantage in scientific applications.
Quantum Science Center (QSC)
Director: Travis Humble
Lead Institution: Oak Ridge National Laboratory
QSC researchers are working to establish the nation’s first fault-tolerant ecosystem for hybrid quantum high-performance computing (QHPC). By integrating hybrid algorithms, scientific applications, QHPC architectures, and experimental validation with leadership-class HPC, QSC researchers are building the foundations for scalable, error-resilient quantum technologies. Through strong partnerships with industry and a commitment to developing the next generation of scientists and engineers, the QSC is accelerating the transition of quantum innovation from the laboratory to real-world applications—advancing secure, energy-efficient computing and reinforcing U.S. leadership in quantum science.
Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Center (SQMS)
Director: Anna Grassellino
Lead Institution: Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
The Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Center is one of the five U.S. Department of Energy National Quantum Information Science Research Centers. Led by Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, SQMS is a collaboration of more than 40 partner institutions — national labs, academia and industry — working together to bring transformational advances in the field of quantum information science. The center leverages Fermilab’s expertise in building complex particle accelerators to engineer multiqubit quantum processor platforms based on state-of-the-art qubits and superconducting technologies.
