The National Science Foundation has awarded $3 million to establish a NSF Research Traineeship at the 91探花 for graduate students in quantum information science and technology, or QIST. Research in QIST includes the development of quantum computers, which hold the promise of performing computations far faster than today鈥檚 computers, as well as of fundamentally secure communication systems and simulations of new materials with novel and potentially revolutionary properties.

All QIST pursuits exploit the complex, probability-based principles of quantum mechanics, which underlie the behavior and properties of matter. QIST ventures bring together scientists with diverse areas of expertise 鈥� including physics, chemistry, computer science, electrical engineering and materials science. And while diversity is a strength of this dynamic field, it is also a reason to develop a formal training program for budding QIST researchers.

鈥淪ome fields, like physics, have been dealing with quantum mechanics for a long time; for others, it鈥檚 a relatively new concept to bring into lecture halls and research laboratories,鈥� said , the principal investigator and director of the new traineeship, a 91探花associate professor of physics and of electrical and computer engineering, and a researcher with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. 鈥淲e are creating this core educational and training framework so graduate students in these diverse fields can gain the knowledge and skills they need for futures in QIST, while also remaining grounded in their respective fields.鈥�

The new traineeship 鈥� known as Accelerating Quantum-Enabled Technologies, or AQET 鈥� will make the 91探花one of just 鈥渁 handful鈥� of universities with a formal, interdisciplinary QIST curriculum, added Fu, who also co-chairs the steering committee for QIST research on campus and is a faculty member with the 91探花, the and the .

Initial NSF funds will support the traineeship through one year of development and student recruitment, as well as its first four years of operation. Main features of the AQET traineeship will be:

• Student cohorts recruited each year among doctoral programs in the Department of Chemistry, the Department of Physics, the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering
• Fellowships for some AQET trainees from the NSF or other sources during the program鈥檚 approximately 18-month duration
• Developing and launching a set of foundational QIST courses for AQET students, which will also be open to other 91探花graduate and undergraduate students
• A six- to nine-month capstone project
• Outreach efforts to recruit female students

The core courses include several already taught at the UW, such as in physics, as well as new ones to introduce additional QIST topics to students from diverse disciplines.

鈥淨IST involves many different contributions from science and engineering departments on university campuses, and we鈥檝e all come together speaking different 鈥榣anguages鈥� from our home disciplines,鈥� said Fu. 鈥淪o we want this foundational coursework to ground students in a common framework for approaching and talking about QIST concepts and principles.鈥�

One course, for example, is a project-based introduction to quantum computing. Using IBM and Microsoft cloud quantum computing platforms, students will explore what is currently possible in information storage and retrieval in quantum computing and apply that knowledge to their own background in science and engineering.

鈥淪omeone with a computer science background can see and understand the current limitations in nascent quantum computing, while a student in materials science can see and understand how important material properties are to the performance of these devices,鈥� said Fu.

The AQET capstone project will allow students to pursue their own research interests in QIST after the foundational coursework. It can be conducted at the 91探花or at a collaborating research institution, university or company. Some potential collaborators already partner with the 91探花in QIST endeavors, such as the founded by the UW, Microsoft and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

鈥淲e are open to lots of options for these partnerships, because ultimately our goal is to be flexible in response to student interests,鈥� said Fu. 鈥淭he AQET traineeship will complement the students鈥� education and research in their respective doctoral programs, and ultimately prepare them for jobs in industries that increasingly demand QIST knowledge and experience.鈥�

Co-principal investigators on AQET are , 91探花associate professor of chemistry; , 91探花professor of computer science and engineering; , 91探花assistant professor of physics and of electrical and computer engineering; and , a researcher at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and a 91探花affiliate assistant professor of physics. Cossairt and Majumdar are also faculty researchers with the Clean Energy Institute, and Majumdar is a faculty researcher with the Molecular Engineering and Sciences Institute and the Institute for Nano-engineered Systems.

For more information, contact Fu at kaimeifu@uw.edu.

The was unveiled during a two-day summit at the UW, an event that included scientists and engineers from the three keystone institutions, as well as potential partners in academia and industry from across the Pacific Northwest.

鈥淭he technological and societal impact of the upcoming quantum revolution is going to be enormous,鈥� said , 91探花vice provost for research and professor of chemical engineering and microbiology. 鈥淭he 91探花is thrilled to partner with Microsoft and PNNL in this Northwest Quantum Nexus.鈥�

In alignment with the , the Northwest Quantum Nexus aims to develop a quantum-fluent workforce and economy in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States and Canada by accelerating research, technological development, education and training in the quantum information sciences, or QIS. Its objectives include:

• Forming cross-disciplinary research teams working across academia, government and industry toward scalable quantum computing 鈥� including quantum algorithms and programming 鈥� as well as research and development of quantum materials and devices
• Cultivating a workforce that is expert in quantum science, engineering and technology through education and training 鈥� including undergraduate and graduate education, curriculum development; and internships
• Promoting public-private partnerships as platforms to exchange knowledge and resources
• Translating QIS research to testbeds and relevant application areas such as sustainability and clean energy

QIS disciplines include quantum computing, quantum communication, quantum sensing and quantum materials and devices. All of these applications and fields are designed around and enabled by the principles of quantum mechanics, including quantum superposition, which is the property of existing in several different configurations at the same time. 聽For example, quantum computing uses the principles of quantum mechanics and quantum-mechanical processes to carry out computations, which could revolutionize fields from cryptography to molecular simulation. Quantum materials include materials in which new behaviors emerge from quantum interactions.

As QIS technologies progress from research and development to applications in clean energy, sustainability, computing and communications, the Northwest Quantum Nexus seeks to boost the region鈥檚 quantum workforce as well as research and educational capacity, according to coalition members.

鈥淲hile there has been a long history of quantum research and education in the 91探花physics department, the landscape has changed recently,鈥� said , associate professor of both physics and electrical and computer engineering. 鈥淧eople now see that you can harness the quantum nature of matter to realize new technologies.鈥�

鈥淭his change means a paradigm shift in education,鈥� added Fu, who is also a faculty member in the UW鈥檚 . 鈥淯nderstanding quantum mechanics is no longer an academic question but a required skill for people to develop quantum materials, quantum devices, quantum systems and quantum algorithms.鈥�

These goals also offer opportunities to expand the Northwest Quantum Nexus. Summit attendees included dozens of scientists, engineers and administrators from the keystone partners, as well as potential partners from private companies, startups and universities from across the Pacific Northwest. Three members of Washington鈥檚 congressional delegation also attended the summit: Senator Maria Cantwell, Representative Derek Kilmer and Representative Adam Smith.

The keystone partners have complementary strengths in QIS. For the past 15 years, Microsoft has been a major global driver of quantum computing research and software development. The PNNL鈥檚 research into QIS includes programming, algorithm development, materials synthesis and characterization, as well as applications in quantum chemistry and sensing.

The 91探花has deep roots in quantum research and discovery. Two 91探花scientists have earned the Nobel Prize in Physics for QIS research 鈥� Hans Dehmelt in 1989 for developing ion traps and David Thouless in 2016 for theoretical work on topological phase transitions and topological phases of matter. Today, researchers across the 91探花鈥� in the , the and the 鈥� are at the forefront of QIS research. The university recently established , which joins QIS research endeavors across the 91探花in fields such as quantum sensing, quantum computing, quantum communication and quantum materials and devices. Fu and , associate professor and chair of chemical engineering, serve as co-chairs of Quantum X.

The three institutions also work together in QIS research and development. 91探花and PNNL scientists collaborate on quantum materials research through the . Scientists with Microsoft Quantum are teaching an undergraduate-level course on quantum computing algorithms in the UW鈥檚 Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering. Microsoft and the PNNL have collaborated on a chemistry library will inform chemistry research relevant to quantum computing.

The Northwest Quantum Nexus is a natural next step, according to the summit organizers.

鈥淭he Northwest Quantum Nexus summit was an amazing success for 91探花Quantum X and our keystone partners Microsoft and the PNNL,鈥� said Pfaendtner, who is also a faculty member in the UW鈥檚 .

鈥淲e are ready to roll up our sleeves and get to work competing for new private and public research funding, continuing UW鈥檚 long history of developing innovative and agile graduate and undergraduate education programs in the QIS field, and creating amazing new opportunities for our students and postdoctoral researchers.鈥�

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For more information, contact Fu at kaimeifu@uw.edu and Pfaendtner at jpfaendt@uw.edu.