Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Argonne National Laboratory is a multidisciplinary science and engineering research center where scientists and engineers pioneer breakthroughs that address some of the world’s most pressing challenges. In this video, physicist Whitney Armstrong discusses an Argonne-led project under DOE’s Genesis Mission that is reimagining how superconducting quantum sensors process information.
Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) can capture the arrival of individual photons with astonishing timing precision, down to a few trillionths of a second. But turning those signals into usable data typically requires amplification, digitization and conventional computing — steps that can add delays, consume power and discard some of the precise timing information the sensors were designed to capture.
To address this challenge, an Argonne-led team, in partnership with MIT, NIST and Washington University in St. Louis, is working to build computation directly into the superconducting hardware. Their brain-inspired networks use precisely timed electrical pulses traveling through superconducting devices to create coordinated patterns capable of distinguishing incredibly small differences in signal timing, all while operating at the same ultra-cold temperatures as the sensors. AI plays a central role by helping researchers design optimal hardware layouts and train the network’s behavior, while the team is also exploring whether operating the system near a delicate balance between order and chaos can improve performance.
The result could provide a scalable, low-power foundation for processing quantum-sensor information in real time, with potential applications in quantum imaging, sensing and advanced scientific detectors. Learn more about how Argonne is advancing this work under DOE’s Genesis Mission.
Find out more about Argonne’s role supporting the DOE’s Genesis Mission ►► anl.gov/genesis-mission/projects/superconducting-polychronous-computation-near-criticality
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ABOUT ARGONNE
Argonne National Laboratory seeks solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology by conducting leading-edge basic and applied research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.
ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY OFFICE OF SCIENCE
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit the Office of Science website.
Argonne National Laboratory is a multidisciplinary science and engineering research center where scientists and engineers pioneer breakthroughs that address some of the world’s most pressing challenges. In this video, physicist Whitney Armstrong discusses an Argonne-led project under DOE’s Genesis Mission that is reimagining how superconducting quantum sensors process information.
Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) can capture the arrival of individual photons with astonishing timing precision, down to a few trillionths of a second. But turning those signals into usable data typically requires amplification, digitization and conventional computing — steps that can add delays, consume power and discard some of the precise timing information the sensors were designed to capture.
To address this challenge, an Argonne-led team, in partnership with MIT, NIST and Washington University in St. Louis, is working to build computation directly into the superconducting hardware. Their brain-inspired networks use precisely timed electrical pulses traveling through superconducting devices to create coordinated patterns capable of distinguishing incredibly small differences in signal timing, all while operating at the same ultra-cold temperatures as the sensors. AI plays a central role by helping researchers design optimal hardware layouts and train the network’s behavior, while the team is also exploring whether operating the system near a delicate balance between order and chaos can improve performance.
The result could provide a scalable, low-power foundation for processing quantum-sensor information in real time, with potential applications in quantum imaging, sensing and advanced scientific detectors. Learn more about how Argonne is advancing this work under DOE’s Genesis Mission.
Find out more about Argonne’s role supporting the DOE’s Genesis Mission ►► anl.gov/genesis-mission/projects/superconducting-polychronous-computation-near-criticality
Still haven't subscribed to Argonne National Laboratory on YouTube? ►► bit.ly/2Vyzwvm
Join us on Facebook ► bit.ly/ArgonneFacebook
Follow us on X ► bit.ly/ArgonneTwitter
We’re on Instagram ► bit.ly/ArgonneInstagram
Connect with us on LinkedIn ► bit.ly/ArgonneLinkedIn
ABOUT ARGONNE
Argonne National Laboratory seeks solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology by conducting leading-edge basic and applied research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.
ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY OFFICE OF SCIENCE
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit the Office of Science website.
