Events

October 28, 2025

USC's second annual USC Quantum Technologies Forum, held on October 28, 2025, brought together more than 170 participants, including faculty and students, government representatives, and leaders from over 40 companies to explore the current state of quantum science and technology and discuss how Southern California is emerging as a leading hub for quantum research, education, and industry collaboration. JPL presented a summary of its quantum research efforts.

November 7, 2025

The California Governor’s Office, Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), and the University of California, Office of the President (UCOP) sponsored a Quantum California Convening to kick-off off the statewide Quantum California Consortium on November 7, 2025, in Berkeley, CA. The consortium aligns university, research, industry, and government partners and will develop recommendations for a statewide quantum strategy and job-creation roadmap. JPL supported the panel discussions.

November 19, 2025

JPL, through its Quantum Space Innovation Center (QSIC), is a member of the Southern California Quantum Alliance. The vision of the Quantum Alliance is to establish Southern California as a global leader in quantum science, technology, and workforce development by driving transformative impact across research, industry, and society. Other members of the alliance include Caltech, USC, UCLA, UCSD, UCI, PCC, CSUSM, Boeing, Cisco, HRL, Aerospace Corp., IBM, DRS Daylight, and others. JPL and the Quantum Alliance members met at UCLA on November 19, 2025, to develop a proposal to the State of California Regional Investment Initiative (RII) for resources to enable a regional quantum network and enhance quantum workforce development.

Dr. Kanu Sinha/U. Arizona
The Arizona Quantum Bootcamp: creating quantum foundations for the students of Arizona

Abstract: The Arizona Quantum Bootcamp is a collaborative Arizona-wide effort created to advance quantum educational pathways across multiple institutions of Arizona. As foundational ideas such as quantum superposition and entanglement move from abstract theory into real-world quantum technologies, the demand for a broadly trained and interdisciplinary quantum workforce has accelerated, outpacing traditional curricula. The Arizona Quantum Bootcamp aims to provide a multidisciplinary training ground for the `quantum-curious' undergraduate students of Arizona.

Dr. Nick Hutzler/Caltech
Quantum-Controlled Molecules for Fundamental Physics and Quantum Science

Abstract: Quantum-controlled molecules have emerged as a promising platform for studies of fundamental physics, chemistry, and quantum science. The rich internal structure of molecules offers many opportunities compared to atoms, but navigating their complex structures remains a challenge; for this reason, most studies have so far used diatomic molecules. Our group uses polyatomic molecules, whose additional degrees of freedom can be engineered to simultaneously realize combinations of features not available in simpler species. In this talk I will discuss three relevant advances in this area. First, we have engineered transitions in polyatomic YbOH to search for fundamental symmetry violations with robustness against noise and errors. Second, we have synthesized, cooled, and performed high resolution spectroscopy on several radium-containing molecules which offer large enhancements of fundamental nuclear physics effects. Finally, we discuss a new approach to rapid, broadband, high resolution optical spectroscopy with radicals, which can be used to map out dozens of molecular bands in a few hours.

Dr. Shimon Kolkowitz/UC Berkeley
Tabletop tests of relativity with a miniature network of optical atomic clocks

Abstract: The remarkable precision of optical atomic clocks offers sensitivity to new and exotic physics through tests of relativity, searches for dark matter, gravitational wave detection, and probes for beyond Standard Model particles. While much of optical clock research has focused on improving their absolute accuracy, many searches for new physics can be performed with relative comparisons between clocks. To this end, we have realized a “multiplexed” strontium optical lattice clock consisting of two or more clocks in one vacuum chamber, forming a miniature clock network. This enables us to bypass the primary limitations to typical atomic clock comparisons and to achieve new levels of precision, enabling us to perform novel tests of relativity in the lab.

Date: January 7th, 2025
Location: JPL