Fermilab SQMS Center

The Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems (SQMS) Center is a U.S. Department of Energy National Quantum Information Science Research Center led by Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, launched in 2020 with about $115 million in DOE funding over its first five years. Its research combines superconducting qubits, materials science, and cryogenic engineering, using techniques such as niobium superconducting radio-frequency cavities and 3D transmons to extend qubit coherence times; related work applies cavity-based superconducting devices as quantum sensors, including axion dark matter searches. It is a multi-institution consortium of national laboratories, universities, and industry partners rather than a commercial company.

AI-written profile · not yet reviewed · 3 October 2026

Headquarters: Batavia, Illinois, USA
Founded: 2020
Status: Private

superconducting quantum sensing

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Fermilab SQMS Center Identifies Microscopic Origins of Qubit Performance Variance Across Superconducting Transmons

Researchers at Fermilab's SQMS Center have traced significant variation in superconducting transmon coherence times to nanometre-scale differences in fabrication geometry and the presence of surface oxides. These microscopic features were associated with up to twofold swings in qubit performance. The resulting materials-level data is intended to feed device models and automated qubit calibration pipelines.

OutlookPlausible

ML-driven calibration pipelines could ingest these fabrication geometry and oxide signatures to flag low-coherence qubits early and adjust tuning strategies before standard characterization, reducing calibration overhead on multi-qubit devices.

superconducting algorithms softwareFermilab SQMS Center