April 2026
Happy World Quantum Day!
Today, the global quantum community comes together for World Quantum Day, an annual celebration held on a date chosen for the first digits of Planck's constant (4.14), one of the most fundamental numbers in quantum physics.
From open lectures and lab tours to demos and outreach events, World Quantum Day is a decentralized initiative, meaning anyone, anywhere can organize an activity to celebrate the wonders of quantum science and technology. Following the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, 2026 continues to build on that momentum worldwide.
Follow Elevate Quantum on LinkedIn as we share partner updates, highlights, and events throughout the day.
Google Quantum AI Opens Neutral Atom Team in Boulder, Led By JILA’s Adam Kaufman
Google Quantum AI announced a major expansion of its quantum research program in March, tapping CU Boulder Professor and JILA Fellow Adam Kaufman to lead a newly formed neutral atom quantum hardware team, based right here in Colorado.
Kaufman, who has been affiliated with CU and JILA since 2009, will maintain a lab at JILA while hiring a team of hardware specialists to build a neutral-atoms computer, starting with about 10 people located in Colorado. The move marks Google's first quantum presence in the state and a strategic expansion beyond its established superconducting qubit program.
"He's one of the key experts in this area," said Charina Chou, Chief Operating Officer of Google Quantum AI. Google's main quantum operations employ hundreds in Seattle and Los Angeles, while this Colorado team opens a new chapter.
Colorado’s Quantum Community Shows Out for APS
Last month, more than 14,000 researchers, educators, and students from around the world descended on Denver for the APS Global Physics Summit. With the theme "Science for a Shared Future," the Summit spotlighted cross-disciplinary collaboration, and Colorado's quantum ecosystem was front and center.
Elevate Quantum's interactive "Guide to APS" mapped 104 organizations across the Mountain West quantum ecosystem, while partners including Maybell Quantum, Infleqtion, Q-CTRL, Qblox, QuantWare, Colorado School of Mines, CU Boulder, KMLabs, and Bifrost Electronics hosted events, talks, and demos across the city.
For a recap of the event, visit summit.aps.org/. And to continue exploring our Guide to APS, visit eq-guidetoaps.netlify.app.
Quantum Summit: QED-C Convenes Industry Leaders in D.C. on World Quantum Day
The Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C) is hosting The Quantum Summit on April 14–15 at Convene Hamilton Square in Washington, D.C., kicking off with a welcome reception on World Quantum Day itself.
The two-day working summit brings together industry executives, technical experts, government officials, and investors to examine the quantum industry's trajectory. Anchoring the event is the release of the 2026 State of the Global Quantum Industry Report, with a featured session analyzing investment trends, market readiness, and competitive positioning across the global quantum economy.
Highlights include a Government Leadership Forum featuring U.S. Chief Technology Officer Ethan Klein, DOE Under Secretary for Science Dario Gil, and NSF Assistant Director Erwin Gianchandani, along with an Industry Leadership Forum with Infleqtion CEO Matthew Kinsella, D-Wave CEO Alan Baratz, and leaders from Alice & Bob, NVIDIA, and Deep 33 Ventures.
Maybell Unveils New Architecture for Scalable Quantum Coolin
Maybell Quantum announced ColdCloud, a patented cryogenic cooling architecture designed to support scalable quantum computing infrastructure. The system centralizes cryogenic cooling and distributes it to modular nodes that can operate below 10 millikelvin, the ultra-low temperatures required for reliable quantum hardware performance.
The first ColdCloud system is expected to come online in 2026, with additional deployments planned for 2027. As quantum processors scale from tens to hundreds and thousands of qubits, the need for modular, efficient cryogenic infrastructure becomes critical, and Maybell is building the backbone.
Have an event, job posting or achievement to celebrate with the quantum community? Click below to submit your information, and we’ll update here and on our website!