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Expanding existing collaborations and opening new research directions were the main goals of the NTC team from the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen during their late-January visit to the U.S. Ján Minár, Head of Research in Advanced Quantum Materials and Professor of Applied Physics, NTC Director Petr Kavalíř, and Director for Strategic Projects David Lávička visited three top American universities.

Their first stop was the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). There, the NTC team met with the research group of world-renowned quantum technology expert and U.S. government Special Envoy for Quantum Technologies, Prineha Narang. Their discussions focused on the highly promising yet extremely demanding area of quantum computing and algorithms for predicting the properties of quantum materials.

“To tackle these cutting-edge scientific challenges at UWB, we established the Centre for Quantum Computing and Simulations at NTC under the methodological leadership of Prof. Vala from Maynooth University in Ireland. Thanks to UWB’s membership in the IBM Quantum Innovation Center, we also have access to the most advanced quantum computers in the United States. This opens the door to joint research with colleagues from UCLA in this area,” explained NTC Director Petr Kavalíř. According to him, the unique combination of top-level research by Ján Minár’s team and state-of-the-art infrastructure creates conditions that will bring UCLA researchers to Pilsen to participate in joint projects.

At Stanford University, in the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory,  where elementary particles are studied, the team, in cooperation with the group led by Jonathan Sobota, focused primarily on the potential use of methods developed at NTC in the field of ultrafast processes and the manipulation of materials on femtosecond time scales, as well as research into topological states. The visit resulted in agreements on joint experiments, publications, and longer-term exchange stays for scientists.

Cooperation between UWB and the federal Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory also has a long tradition. The laboratory conducts research and development to ensure sufficient and reliable energy supplies. Minár’s team has worked there on various projects for many years, producing several demanding experiments and joint publications. During the January visit, Berkeley researchers (from synchrotron facilities and the Molecular Foundry) showed strong interest in the computational and simulation methods developed by Minár’s team at NTC. At Berkeley Lab, Czech and American experts also agreed on long-term research stays for NTC researchers and on opportunities to obtain research fellowships.

During the trip, the NTC team worked with their U.S. partners to formulate technological challenges that will shape the field of advanced and quantum materials in the years ahead. However, NTC’s cooperation with leading U.S. institutions does not end there. A visit to the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center in Washington, D.C., is already being prepared. The center focuses on today’s global challenges and connects academia with industry, business, and policy. UWB Rector Miroslav Lávička and NTC Director Petr Kavalíř will appear there as guest speakers at an international Science Diplomacy Summit, where they will present the role of the Pilsen-based university in linking top-tier science, innovation, and international collaboration.