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During his first visit to 91����, Energy Secretary Chris Wright compared the urgency of the Lab’s World War II beginnings to today’s global race to lead in artificial intelligence, calling for a “Manhattan Project 2.”

Working at nanoscale dimensions, billionths of a meter in size, a team of scientists led by ORNL revealed a new way to measure high-speed fluctuations in magnetic materials. Knowledge obtained by these new measurements could be used to advance technologies ranging from traditional computing to the emerging field of quantum computing. 

Quantum information scientists at ORNL successfully demonstrated a device that combines key quantum photonic capabilities on a single chip for the first time.

Registration for the Quantum Science Center’s Summer School is open now through Feb. 28, 2025. Conducted in partnership with the Quantum Science Center at ORNL, this year’s summer school will be hosted at the Purdue Quantum Science and Engineering Institute Apr. 21 through Apr. 25, 2025, on the Purdue University campus.

A recent study led by quantum researchers at ORNL proved popular among the science community interested in building a more reliable quantum network. The study, led by ORNL’s Hsuan-Hao Lu, details development of a novel quantum gate that operates between two photonic degrees of freedom — polarization and frequency. 

Researchers at ORNL joined forces with EPB of Chattanooga and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga to demonstrate the first transmission of an entangled quantum signal using multiple wavelength channels and automatic polarization stabilization over a commercial network with no downtime.

During Hurricanes Helene and Milton, ORNL deployed drone teams and the Mapster platform to gather and share geospatial data, aiding recovery and damage assessments. ORNL's EAGLE-I platform tracked utility outages, helping prioritize recovery efforts. Drone data will train machine learning models for faster damage detection in future disasters. 

Researchers at ORNL are using microwave radar reflection to nondestructively detect and measure the moisture content of materials within walls without removing drywall or cladding. This also expedites the moisture identification process and enables mold growth to be treated in the early stages.

ORNL, as a partner in the DOE’s Stor4Build Consortium, is co-leading research with several national laboratories to develop thermal energy storage to complement electrical battery storage and recently hosted a two-day workshop focused on advancing these technologies.

The US focuses on nuclear nonproliferation, and ORNL plays a key role in this mission. The lab conducts advanced research in uranium science, materials analysis and nuclear forensics to detect illicit nuclear activities. Using cutting-edge tools and operational systems, ORNL supports global efforts to reduce nuclear threats by uncovering the history of nuclear materials and providing solutions for uranium removal.