Montana State University officially opened its interdisciplinary research facility dedicated to the study of quantum computing Aug. 20. Called QCORE, or Quantum Collaborative Research and Education, the high-tech facility is housed in MSU’s College of Letters and Science and positions the university to identify and address grand challenges in quantum systems.

Quantum computing is widely regarded as an emerging frontier in the computing sector. Quantum physics deals with the behavior of very small particles, smaller even than the protons and neutrons most people know as the parts that make up atoms. Scientists – including those at MSU’s Spectrum Lab and MonArk Quantum Foundry – are discovering how to manipulate quantum particles to create faster, more sensitive, more precise and more secure systems in electronics, including sensors, location systems, computers and medical equipment.