The hardware business Qolab has formally announced the introduction of the John Martinis Prize for Experimental Superconducting Qubit Physics, a significant step to expedite the development of scalable quantum technology. The statement at the APS Global Physics Summit in Denver underscores the company’s commitment to developing future superconducting quantum hardware talent.
The endeavor, backed by the Israeli Quantum Computing Center (IQCC) and Quantum Machines, uses advanced control technology to conduct experiments. Qolab has gained pace with new technical collaborations, educational programs, and a major workforce expansion, earning this new honor.
Honoring a Nobel Laureate’s Legacy
Qolab’s co-founder and CTO, John M. Martinis, gets honored by the prize. Martinis was awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics for his groundbreaking research on energy quantization in electric circuits and macroscopic quantum mechanical tunneling.
The program’s goal is to give funding for research and teaching to academics and scientists who are committed to the advancement of experimental superconducting quantum systems. The award gives recipients exclusive access to Qolab quantum processors in addition to financial assistance. Processors on the Quantum Machines stack accelerate experimental work and training in device building and superconducting qubit control.
“Scaling quantum computing from research models to useful systems requires an upcoming generation of investigators who understand both physics and engineering of superconductivity devices,” Martinis said during the summit. The prize aims to support people seeking to advance qubit control, device design, and experimental methodologies.
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A Unique Experimental Framework
The collaboration with the IQCC is a key element of this project. According to Nir Alfasi, General Manager of the IQCC, their facility is presently the only cloud access center offering experimentalists complete pulse-level control of superconducting qubits via the Quantum Machines OPX+. The IQCC hopes to develop technology alongside the upcoming generation of superconducting experimentalists by housing Qolab’s processors.
Grant awardees will be incorporated into a comprehensive support network that offers opportunities for collaboration with top researchers, processor access, and monetary stipends. In particular, research recipients will have access to Qolab’s most recent superconducting processors housed in the IQCC, allowing them to carry out sophisticated pulse-level control studies and in-depth device characterization. The winners will receive a complimentary pass to the Adaptive Quantum Circuits (AQC) conference.
Online submissions for the prize opened on 2026. Winners will be unveiled and honored at the AQC conference in Chicago in 2026.
International Collaborations and Technical Breakthroughs
Beyond the new reward, Qolab is gaining momentum. The business actively participates in international partnerships to address the technological obstacles associated with quantum scaling. The National Quantum Federated Foundry (NQFF) in Singapore and Qolab collaborated to create cryogenic low-pass filters earlier this year.
These filters are essential for reducing microwave noise in superconducting quantum processors, which is still a major barrier to the development of bigger, more dependable systems. This collaboration makes use of Qolab’s extensive knowledge of superconducting qubits as well as Singapore’s cutting-edge semiconductor manufacturing capabilities. The objective is to create cryogenic filters at the wafer scale that can be directly included into quantum circuits, enabling denser integration and increased dependability.
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Investing in Education and the Future Workforce
Another key component of Qolab’s approach is education. The Quantum Educational Fabrication Program (Qolab Fab) was showcased by the firm at the APS conference. By enabling students to create superconducting microwave resonators using specialized electronic design tools, this project introduces practical hardware engineering into academic settings.
Once these devices are built, Qolab uses its production infrastructure to produce them and measure them at millikelvin temperatures. After then, students examine the measurement data to have a hands-on understanding of the technical limitations and material difficulties that restrict qubit performance. With an emphasis on increasing access for organizations without their own specialist fabrication or cryogenic facilities, the program is scheduled for pilot deployments in the summer of 2026.
Qolab is also starting to hire more people to support this expansion. The company is encouraging candidates to meet the engineering team and speak with John Martinis personally about career prospects as part of its participation in the APS Global Physics Summit Career Fair.
Professionals who can bridge the gap between quantum research and semiconductor production are in great demand, according to Alan Ho, CEO of Qolab. “We’re developing a team devoted to solving the hard technical engineering challenges that determine whether quantum computers can scale,” Ho explained.
Applicant and interested parties can visit Qolab exhibit #717 or attend talks with John Martinis at Quantum in Singapore and Quantum Machines displays on March 17. Qolab’s goal of creating utility-scale superconducting quantum computing is still being pursued by combining scientific knowledge with strategic business alliances.
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