Illinois Quantum Information Science and Technology Center

What Illinois Quantum Information Science and Technology Center does

The Illinois Quantum Information Science and Technology Center (IQUIST) is a university research center launched in 2018 within The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. It coordinates quantum information science research across the physics, engineering, computer science, and mathematics departments, bringing together approximately half of Illinois's quantum faculty along with 170+ graduate students and 40+ postdocs. Core research programs span quantum computing, quantum communication, quantum sensing, and quantum materials, with technical specializations including quantum light-matter interfaces, rare-earth (europium) quantum memories with demonstrated storage times up to 800 nanoseconds, trapped-ion to telecom wavelength conversion, superconducting qubit architectures, and a synthetic squeezing technique for steady-state entanglement via dissipation published in Physical Review X.

IQUIST operates the first publicly accessible quantum network — the Public Quantum Network — with a permanent node at The Urbana Free Library enabling real entanglement experiments over fiber-optic infrastructure, alongside educational and outreach offerings such as the QIS Minor, QuanTime (K-12), LabEscape, the Quantum Illuminations stage production, and the NASA SEAQUE-affiliated Quantum Satellite citizen-science game. The center is a core member of the Chicago Quantum Exchange and a coordinating node for multiple national initiatives: NSF's Quantum Leap Challenge Institute HQAN (Award No. 2016136), DOE's Q-NEXT and SQMS centers, the QuSTEAM consortium, and the DARPA Quantum Proving Ground.

Funding is structured almost entirely through federal research grants (NSF, DOE, DARPA, NASA), state support for the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (128 acres for immediate development plus 300 acres for future expansion), and industry partnerships including PsiQuantum as anchor tenant and IBM. The center does not sell commercial products or services and revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Illinois Quantum Information Science and Technology Center

Legal name

Illinois Quantum Information Science and Technology Center

Website

https://iquist.illinois.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

IQUIST is a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign research center that coordinates quantum information science across physics, engineering, computer science, and mathematics, training a quantum-ready workforce and operating the first publicly accessible quantum network at the Urbana Free Library.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Quantum Research Center

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Educational Support Services (61171), Computer Training (611420)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHDAGAMAM

Quantum Education, Workforce Development & Academic Centers

Hardware, Technology & Telecom/Quantum Computing/Quantum Research & Development (Academic and Industry Research)

SECONDARYHDAGAMAH

Quantum Communications, Networking & Quantum Internet Research

Hardware, Technology & Telecom/Quantum Computing/Quantum Research & Development (Academic and Industry Research)

SECONDARYHDAGALAA

Quantum Education & Certification Programs

Hardware, Technology & Telecom/Quantum Computing/Quantum Workforce, Training & Professional Services

SECONDARYHDAGALAF

Quantum Software Engineering & Toolchain Training

Hardware, Technology & Telecom/Quantum Computing/Quantum Workforce, Training & Professional Services

Keywords

• Quantum information science
• Quantum computing research
• Quantum networking
• Quantum education programs
• Quantum materials research

Headquarters

HQ city

Urbana

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Federal Research Grants: Funded through NSF Quantum Leap Challenge Institute HQAN (Award No. 2016136), DOE grants, and other federal research funding
2. DOE Research Funding: DOE Grant No. 712869 'Advanced Quantum Networks for Science Discovery' supporting quantum network research
3. Industry Partnerships: Collaborations with companies like PsiQuantum at Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park, IBM, providing research partnerships and potential future commercialization pathways
4. Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park: State-supported quantum research park with shared user facilities, industrial scale cryoplant, and workforce development centers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

IQUIST is a university research center that conducts fundamental and applied research in quantum information science (quantum computing, quantum communication, quantum sensing, and quantum materials) while training a quantum-ready workforce and engaging the public. Its offerings include research programs supported by NSF and DOE grants, the Public Quantum Network with public-facing entanglement experiment nodes, the QIS undergraduate minor, and a portfolio of outreach programs (LabEscape escape room, QuanTime K-12 activities, Quantum Illuminations production, Quantum Satellite citizen science game).

Product overview

IQUIST is a university research center launched in 2018 that unites physicists, engineers, computer scientists, and mathematicians to advance quantum information science and train a quantum-ready workforce. The center's offerings include the Public Quantum Network (PQN) — a public-facing quantum network with nodes at the Urbana Free Library enabling real quantum entanglement experiments — alongside educational and outreach programs such as LabEscape (a science-based escape room), QuanTime (K-12 quantum education activities), the Quantum Illuminations stage production, and the Quantum Satellite citizen science video game. IQUIST also offers a QIS Minor, seminar series (IQUIST Seminar Series, Young Researchers Seminar Series), the annual UIQC conference, and World Quantum Day events. Research programs span quantum memory development using rare-earth crystals, trapped-ion to telecom wavelength conversion, dissipation-based entanglement generation, and superconducting qubit architectures. The center coordinates with national initiatives including HQAN, QSQM, Q-Next, SQMS, QuSTEAM, and the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Public Quantum Network (PQN) A public-facing quantum network that brings entangled photons to public spaces such as libraries and schools, enabling the general public to conduct real quantum measurements and explore quantum entanglement using fiber-optic infrastructure. The first node was installed at The Urbana Free Library in November 2023, with planned expansion to other Champaign-Urbana locations and the Chicago Metropolitan Statistical Area.
• LabEscape A science-based escape room experience located in Urbana, IL where participants solve physics-themed puzzles to complete a mission, introducing quantum concepts to the public through interactive gameplay.
• QuanTime Educational activities for middle and high school students introducing quantum information science through online and hands-on activities; designed for educators without prior quantum expertise.
• Quantum Illuminations A multimedia stage production presented in four parts that blends drama, dance, and music with quantum concepts to make quantum science accessible to the public through artistic expression.
• Quantum Satellite Video Game A web-based video game inspired by the SEAQUE NASA mission, allowing users worldwide to generate measurement settings for entangled photons on the International Space Station and contribute to real quantum research as citizen scientists.
• QIS Minor (Quantum Information Science Minor) An undergraduate academic minor in Quantum Information Science offered by IQUIST for UIUC students, providing foundational training in quantum science and engineering.

Quantifiable outcome

• First Public Quantum Network node launched November 4, 2023 at Urbana Free Library
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• PsiQuantumflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 July 2024PsiQuantum is the anchor tenant at the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park, planning to build the world's first utility-scale fault-tolerant quantum computer. Collaboration includes research presentations, facility tours, and programming development with UIUC faculty, researchers, and students.
• Hybrid Quantum Architectures and Networks (HQAN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018NSF Quantum Leap Challenge Institute (Award No. 2016136) pursuing hybrid architecture for distributed quantum processors and networks. Collaboration between UIUC, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and University of Chicago quantum testbeds.
• Chicago Quantum Exchange (CQE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIQUIST is a core member of CQE, which facilitates quantum dialogue between members including Argonne National Lab, Fermilab, UIUC, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Northwestern University.
• Q-NEXTcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDOE National Quantum Information Science Research Center led by Argonne National Laboratory. Collaboration of ~100 experts from 3 national labs, 10 universities, and 12 technology companies for controlling and distributing quantum information.
• Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Center (SQMS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCenter at Fermilab developing advanced quantum computer using superconducting technologies and next-generation quantum sensing technologies for dark matter research.
• FermilabcoreTechnology or IntegrationU.S. premier particle physics laboratory collaborating on quantum research through SQMS center and quantum network development with DOE funding.
• UC2BminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for Public Quantum Network providing digital equity and technology access in Champaign-Urbana community.
• The Urbana Free LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst Public Quantum Network node installed at library, providing public access to quantum experiments and educational quantum experiences.
• Purdue University (Quantum Science and Engineering Institute)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPQSEI recently joined Chicago Quantum Exchange and collaborating with IQUIST on quantum research activities and faculty presentations.
• University of ChicagocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on quantum entanglement research led by Professor Aashish Clerk at Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, combining Illinois and Chicago expertise.
• DARPA Quantum Proving GroundflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject based at Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park under CTO Brian DeMarco's leadership.
• Duality AcceleratorminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInnovators from Duality Accelerator (QuantumAstra, SynthBits, Photon Queue, Quantum Rings) presented at IQUIST All-Hands meeting.
• Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics ParkflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-supported quantum research hub with 128 acres for immediate development and 300 for future expansion, including shared user facility, industrial cryoplant, workforce development centers.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• MIT Center for Quantum Engineering: MIT's quantum research hub conducts research across quantum computing, networking, and sensing with deep industry ties. It is a peer in academic quantum research scale and federal funding capture.
• Stanford Q-FARM (Quantum Fundamentals, Architecture and Machines): Stanford-Berkeley joint quantum research initiative with similar scope in quantum computing and materials. Q-FARM is a peer academic hub pursuing multi-platform quantum research with industry collaboration.
• Yale Quantum Institute: Yale's quantum research center conducting comparable work in quantum information science with industry partnerships. YQI competes with IQUIST for top graduate students and faculty in the quantum computing and networking domains.
• Chicago Quantum Exchange: IQUIST is a core member of CQE, which unites Argonne, Fermilab, UIUC, UW-Madison, and Northwestern in quantum research coordination. Both organizations operate as academic quantum consortia with overlapping faculty and shared federal funding streams.
• University of Maryland Joint Quantum Institute: Joint NIST-UMD quantum research center with comparable scope across quantum computing, networking, and sensing. JQI is a peer in multi-platform quantum research and graduate training programs.
• Caltech Institute for Quantum Information and Matter (IQIM): A leading U.S. quantum research center with multi-platform quantum science research and strong federal funding. IQIM represents the gold standard academic quantum institute that IQUIST competes with for talent and visibility.
• Purdue Quantum Science and Engineering Institute (PQSEI): A regional Midwest quantum research hub that recently joined CQE. PQSEI conducts comparable quantum information science research with industry partnerships and competes with IQUIST for federal funding and graduate students.

Others

• PsiQuantum: IQUIST's flagship industry partner and anchor tenant at Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park. PsiQuantum is the commercialization channel for IQUIST's fault-tolerant quantum research — closely coupled but operationally distinct as a commercial entity.

Broad incumbents

• Argonne National Laboratory: Lead institution for DOE Q-NEXT National Quantum Information Science Research Center. Argonne is both a partner and adjacent institution — operating federally funded quantum research at scale with broader national lab mandate.
• Fermilab: Lead institution for the SQMS Center and a key IQUIST partner. Fermilab's quantum research program is a peer in superconducting quantum systems and quantum sensing, with much broader national lab mandate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IllinoisQuantum
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@illinoisquantum
• Facebookfacebook.com/uofigrainger
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iquist
• Instagraminstagram.com/illinoisquantum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Illinois Quantum Information Science and Technology Center