Intellectual merit of the awarded scientific project is the development and characterization of practical aspects of quantum computing with ultracold polar molecules and highly-magnetic atoms. Exquisite control over their internal and external degrees of freedom should enable regular arrays of these atoms or molecules to form a scalable quantum information processor.
The broader impact is that ultracold atoms and molecules open opportunities for the development of new tools for precision measurement such as optical atomic and molecular clocks, enabling to search for new theories of physics beyond the Standard Model, and improved understanding of condensed matter phenomena such as colossal magnetoresistance (for improved data storage and processing) and superconductivity (for perfectly efficient electric power transmission).
