CU Boulder to build ‘quantum machine shop’ with $20M from NSF

BOULDER — Thanks to a $20 million grant from the National Science Foundation, the University of Colorado Boulder will build the National Quantum Nanofab, described by the school as the “quantum machine shop of the 21st century.”

Local researchers and quantum scientists from around the country “will be able to design and build incredibly small devices that tap into the world of atoms and photons — the tiny packets of energy that make up light,” CU said in a news release. 

CU engineering professor Scott Diddams will lead the creation of the National Quantum Nanofab makerspace, a process that’s expected to take five years. 

“This new facility will significantly enhance CU Boulder’s quantum ecosystem by offering access to fabrication facilities that are unparalleled in the nation,” said Massimo Ruzzene, vice chancellor for research and innovation and dean of the institutes at CU Boulder. “This award further acknowledges the intellectual leadership of our quantum researchers, and the resulting facility will be transformational in terms of translating quantum discoveries into impactful technologies.”