Berkeley Lab has received a two-year, $1.35M award through DOE’s “Quantum Outposts on the Energy and Intensity Frontiers” program for a project entitled “Testing Hadronization Models with Near-Term Quantum Hardware,” a joint effort with the University of Washington.
The process of hadronization describes how quarks and gluons, which are never observed in isolation, turn into observable hadrons such as protons and neutrons. It is one of the least understood aspects of the Standard Model of Particle Physics that can currently only be described by simplistic classical models.
Christian Bauer, a senior scientist in Berkeley Lab’s Physics Division, will lead this research effort, which will test current core assumptions about hadronization against quantum simulations of first principles and enable researchers to reduce a major source of systematic uncertainty in experimental particle physics.
This project is one of eight DOE Office of High Energy Physics projects for Quantum Technology Outposts in Fundamental Physics, selected through a competitive external review process under DOE’s “Quantum Outposts on the Energy and Intensity Frontiers” program, that will explore the application of quantum information science and technology to new experiments and simulations in high-energy physics, broadening the reach of new techniques and unlocking new potential for scientific breakthroughs.
Learn More:
- Energy Department Announces $7M for Quantum Technology Outposts in Fundamental Physics
August 12, 2026 / DOE Office of Science, funding announcement - Department of Energy Announces $7 Million for Quantum Technology Outposts in Fundamental Physics
August 12, 2026 / DOE Office of Science, awards list
