NIST’s Clark to Co-Direct JQI

Physicist Charles Clark of the National Institute of Standards and Technology was named co-director of the Joint Quantum Institute (JQI), a research collaboration that includes NIST and the University of Maryland.

Clark joins the University of Maryland’s Steve Rolston in leading JQI. He succeeds Carl Williams, who recently completed a five-year term as the founding co-director of NIST.

The JQI brings together scientists who study physical systems that obey the counterintuitive rules of quantum physics. Typical research areas at the institute include the fundamental physics of superconductors, which enable the flow of electrons without resistance; ultracold atomic gases that can simulate the behavior of more complex quantum systems and that are impossible to model with today’s supercomputers; and quantum information, which aims to use the unique properties of quantum systems for more powerful and secure computation and communication than can be achieved within the realm of classical physics.

Before being appointed a NIST Fellow in 2010, Clark served as chief of the NIST Electron and Optical Physics division for 20 years. His research focuses on theoretical atomic, molecular and optical physics.

For more information, visit: www.nist.gov