Quantum Engineering

CURIE – short for Colorado Underground Research Institute – will allow researchers to test quantum sensors and more in a very low background environment.

As Colorado emerges as a hub for quantum technology, one of the nation’s first quantum engineering programs – located right here at Mines – is preparing students for the challenges of working in the quantum industry in Colorado and beyond.

A team of researchers, led in part by Colorado School of Mines Postdoctoral Researcher Joseph Smolsky and Associate Professor of Physics Kyle Leach, along with a large local undergraduate and graduate

The partnership between Mines and Maybell Quantum grew out of their joint participation in Elevate Quantum, a Mountain West consortium that was awarded $41 million in federal funding and $84 million in state support with the mission to secure the U.S.’ lead in quantum technology.

The new 13,000-square foot facility in Boulder joins Quantum COmmons, a 70-acre campus in Arvada that features an initial 30,000 square feet of shared-use facilities being developed by Colorado School of Mines in support of Elevate Quantum partners.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Colorado and all of the Elevate Quantum partners, and the nation is looking to us to accelerate growth of the quantum technology industry and economy,” said Dr. Paul C. Johnson, president of Mines.

Colorado School of Mines is part of the regional consortium receiving federal funding — as well as $84 million in matching state support and $1 billion in private capital — to support efforts to strengthen the quantum workforce over the next decade.

The U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration has designated Elevate Quantum as a Regional Technology Hub for Quantum Information Technology. A regional consortium of over 70 organizations, including Mines, Elevate Quantum is driving innovation in Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming.

In a paper recently published in the journal Nature, a team of physicists from Colorado School of Mines, Duke University, Michigan State University, and the University of Maryland realized the dream of building a 1D magnet using a trapped-ion quantum simulator.

Jessica Lawson, a PhD student in materials science, and Paul Varosy, a master’s student in quantum engineering, have been awarded the 2023 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. The