Pitt to Hold Oct. 31 Grand Opening of Laboratories Equipped for Quantum Computing Experiments

PITTSBURGH—The Grand Opening Celebration for a unique set of isolated laboratories—equipped for quantum computing research and other forms of condensed matter physics and nanoscience—at the University of Pittsburgh will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 31, Old Engineering Hall, 3943 O’Hara St., Oakland, followed by a formal program of speakers including Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg, Provost Patricia E. Beeson, and other University officials. 

One of the new laboratories features acoustically isolated chambers, dug four feet lower than the previous basement floor, that are among the first of their kind in the nation to provide an environment free of stray noises and extraneous radio frequencies, allowing Pitt researchers to look at materials that show promise for quantum computing. 

“This space will provide unmatched isolation from vibrations, sound, and electromagnetic disturbances,” said Jeremy Levy, professor of physics and astronomy, who spurred the quest for such a unique space. “We need this kind of isolation for performing high-resolution imaging at ultralow temperatures and in high magnetic fields. We are hoping to create the foundation for future quantum computers using materials that we have developed in our old laboratory.”

The Grand Opening Celebration will begin with an open house at the new facilities, and media should meet at the horseshoe driveway in front of the Old Engineering Hall, 3943 O’Hara St., Oakland. Docents will be on-site to provide maps for a walking tour that features presentations by faculty members and graduate students from Pitt’s Department of Physics and Astronomy. 

Members of the media are then welcome to walk to the University Club, Ballroom B, 123 University Place, Oakland, at 4 p.m. for a presentation by Chancellor Nordenberg, Provost Beeson, and Pitt alumnus Patrick Gallagher (A&S ’91G), U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

The laboratories were built with funding in part from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which has funneled monies from the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into research and technology initiatives. 

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10/25/12/mab/cjhm