Upcoming Events
May 5, 2026 | ANL Event in partnership with NAISE & INQUIRE
Quantum Prairie Economic Forum
Scope: The Quantum Prairie Economic Symposium is an opportunity for Chicago-area small businesses, nonprofit organizations and municipalities to connect with experts in quantum information science and to learn how they can join the vibrant Chicago-area quantum community.
The half-day symposium will feature a keynote address, a panel on the economic and research impacts of quantum information science, and a panel on the importance of growing a quantum workforce.
As a member of a small business or nonprofit or as a representative of a Chicagoland town or county, you will have the chance to network with the quantum information science community, become familiar with the quantum activity happening in your backyard, and learn what all the quantum buzz is about.
Organizers: Argonne National Laboratory, Northwestern (NAISE & INQUIRE), Chicago Quantum Exchange, University of Chicago (Polsky Center & Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering), University of Wisconsin-Madison
May 7, 2026 | INQUIRE & Condensed Matter Physics Seminar
Shuolong Yang, University of Chicago
Time: 4:00pm - 5:00pm (CT)
Location: Technological Institute, F160 | 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208 (map | directions)
Details: The Institute for Quantum Information Research and Engineering (INQUIRE) is pleased to welcome Professor Shuolong Yang from the University of Chicago.
Title: Engineering Topological Quantum Matter in Space and Time
Abstract: Topology has emerged as a unifying principle in modern condensed matter physics and materials science, enabling quantum phases that are remarkably robust yet exquisitely sensitive to their underlying environment. While traditional approaches to topological materials discovery rely on chemistry, the rise of moiré quantum materials suggests a different strategy: engineering topology by tailoring the physical environment.
In this talk I will highlight my group’s recent efforts to control scalable topological quantum matter using the two most fundamental physical knobs – space and time. We constructed a unique testbed to manipulate and probe materials at femtosecond time scale and atomic-layer spatial scale [1]. In space, by epitaxially straining topological superconductors FeTexSe1-x to SrTiO3 substrates, we suppress the competing antiferromagnetic phase near the FeTe limit and uncover a new tuning mechanism for topological superconductivity: electronic correlations [2]. In time, we show that topological electronic states carry intrinsic layer-dependent vibrational fingerprints. By “listening” to these frequencies as the states couple to coherent phonons, we develop a quantum stethoscope capable of resolving long-standing puzzles in magnetic topological insulators, including the elusive broken-symmetry energy gap [3,4]. In combined space-time co-engineering, I will present our latest results integrating photonic crystal cavities with ultrathin topological insulators to realize cavity-driven Floquet engineering [5]. This platform represents a new class of physical-environment control experiments, where the ground states of topological materials are reshaped simultaneously in space and time. Together, these examples illustrate a paradigm in which topological phenomena can be designed and manipulated by engineering the physical environment, and potentially stabilized near ambient conditions – opening pathways toward scalable quantum materials and devices.
[1] C. Yan et al. Rev. Sci. Instrum. 92, 113907 (2021)
[2] H. Lin et al. arXiv 2503.22888. Nature Comm. in press (2025)
[3] W. Lee et al. Nature Phys. 19, 950 (2023)
[4] K. D. Nguyen et al. Science Advances 10, eadn5696 (2024)
[5] Y. Bai et al. in preparation
About Prof. Yang: Shuolong Yang is an assistant professor of molecular engineering at the University of Chicago. He pioneered the approach to combine atomic-level materials synthesis with time-domain photoemission spectroscopy. He is recognized by an NSF CAREER award, a DOE Early Career award, and a NASA Early Career Faculty award. He is a Moore foundation investigator and named a 2025 Emerging Investigator by Nanoscale.
Hosted by Mark Hersam.
May 18, 2026 | Software Workshop by PsiQuantum, INQUIRE & NAISE
Building Fault-Tolerant Quantum Algorithms with PsiQuantum
Scope: In this half-day interactive workshop, participants will explore Construct, PsiQuantum’s purpose-built platform for fault-tolerant quantum computing (FTQC). We’ll dive into the specific tools that address the unique challenges of authoring fault-tolerant quantum programs. Starting from the conceptual foundations and basic building blocks, we’ll move into in-depth algorithm design and analysis, complete with detailed quantum resource estimations. Participants should bring a laptop to participate in hands-on coding exercises and demonstrations.
Because of high demand and limited space, those interested are asked to apply. Applications are open to students, postdoctoral researchers, faculty, and research staff who are enrolled or employed full-time at an Illinois college, university, or national laboratory, and who have a demonstrated background in quantum computing. We will accommodate as many participants as possible, and we will confirm participation by email. The event is free of charge. Lunch will be served.
Speakers: Ian Nanez (Senior Product Manager, PsiQuantum), Andrew Litteken (Quantum Applications Software Developer, PsiQuantum)
Organizers: The workshop is lead by PsiQuantum, co-hosted by Northwestern University's Institute for Quantum Information Research and Engineering (INQUIRE), and the Northwestern + Argonne Institute for Scientific and Engineering Excellence (NAISE), with support from the Chicago Quantum Exchange.