JQI Researchers Win 2023 UMD Quantum Invention of the Year Award

This year Joint Quantum Institute (JQI), a research partnership between the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Maryland, researchers and their colleagues have won in the quantum category for a new method for counting particles of light—photons—without destroying them. Non-destructively counting photons has potential uses in quantum computers and quantum networks that store information in quantum states of light.

The co-inventors nominated for their non-destructive photon counting protocol are:

• Alexey Gorshkov: JQI Fellow, Physicist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a Fellow of the Joint Center for Quantum Information and Computer Science (QuICS) and Adjunct Professor in the UMD Department of Physics and UMIACS
• Michael J. Gullans: Physicist at NIST, QuICS Fellow and Adjunct Assistant Professor in the UMD Department of Physics and UMIACS
• Trey Porto: JQI Fellow, Physicist at NIST and Adjunct Professor in the UMD Department of Physics
• Chris Fechisin: JQI and QuICS graduate student
• Kunal Sharma: Former QuICS Hartree Postdoctoral Fellow 
• Przemyslaw Bienias: Former JQI and QuICS postdoctoral researcher
• Steve Rolston: JQI Fellow and Professor in the UMD Department of Physics