Challenge Institute for Quantum Computation
Advancing the fundamental science and engineering of quantum information processing
The U.S. National Science Foundation Quantum Leap Challenge Institute for Quantum Computation, or NSF CIQC, is an established National Quantum Center. The CIQC addresses three central Research Challenges:

Discovering and realizing the power of quantum computation

Engineering quantum technologies and developing their applications

Understanding nature through the lens of QIS
News & Events
The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) is renewing its support for the NSF Quantum Leap Challenge Institute for Quantum Computation (NSF CIQC).
Role of Symmetry and Phonons in Single Emitters: From Solid-State Defects to Isolated Molecules
June 16, 2026
Recent Highlights
A new study, led by researchers at California Institute of Technology and a new startup company Oratomic, Inc., in collaboration with partners at UC Berkeley.
Caltech physicists have created the largest qubit array ever assembled: 6,100 neutral-atom qubits trapped in a grid by lasers.
A collaboration between CIQC researchers and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has demonstrated a new class of ion traps that bridges the gap between high-performance physics and scalable engineering.



