October 17, 7:30pm |听Kane Hall

Among the most striking everyday phenomena is the emergence of life from inanimate matter. William Bialek, professor at Princeton University, will explain how we know this everyday phenomena, which involved a quiet revolution in the ability to do physics experiments on living systems, in all their complexity.

A number of features of the living world hold a special fascination for physicists. On a dark night, eyes can count individual quanta of light. When we point to the source of a sound, we are measuring time differences of just a few millionths of a second. Even though each bird in a flock sees only a few neighbors, thousands of them can agree on a single direction and speed to fly. William will use these examples to show how these remarkable observations point toward deeper and perhaps more general theories, in the physics tradition.

Free |

October 19, 11:30am – 1:00pm | , Communication Building

Join the Translation Studies Hub for a lunchtime colloquium. Despite playing a significant role, translation often goes unremarked in scholarship and curricula on cultural histories of the environment. Jason Groves will share possibilities for introducing translation to the environmental humanities classroom. Cristina S谩nchez-Mart铆n will describe the design and implementation of a community-based translation module in ENGL 370, 鈥淚ntroduction to English Language鈥� and how students approached English(es) as a situated language practice, learning what it means to tell collective stories of translation while dwelling in incomplete closures.

Free |

October 19, 4:00 – 6:00pm | Hans Rosling Center

This author talk will bring attention to medical apartheid and how it heavily affects black and brown communities across the globe. Listen to prominent, multi award-winning, and independent health journalist Vidya Krishnan present an author talk followed by a Q&A titled Plagues, Philanthropies and the End of Imagination hosted by the School of Public Health, Department of Global Health and the South Asia Center.

Stay around for a reception following the event.

Free |

October 19, 5:00 – 6:00pm | Allen Library

The Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century Graduate Research Cluster is hosting a conversation with Julia Quinn, author of the听Bridgerton series, in conjunction with 91探花Libraries.

Julia Quinn is a best-selling author of historical romance fiction whose novels have appeared on听The New York Times听Best Sellers List and have garnered world-wide popularity. Her听Bridgerton听series was adapted for Netflix in 2020, and has since graced the screens of audiences all over the world, being crowned one of the streaming platform鈥檚 most popular shows of all time.

Free |

October 19, 7:30pm | Kane Hall

This lecture will reflect on the future of computing and the implications for science, business, and society, led by Dario Gil, IBM Senior Vice President and Director of Research.

Working at the intersection of information and biology, artificial intelligence advances and permeates through more applications affecting business and science. Powerful models are now emerging, enabling AI to create in new domains. Society is witnessing the growth of a new computing paradigm combining physics and information鈥攓uantum computing. Quantum computing has the potential to solve problems out of reach for even the most powerful supercomputers.

Free |

October 20, 7:30pm | 听Brechemin Auditorium

Faculty guitarist Michael Partington celebrates the release of his eleventh solo CD, “Concoctions from the Kitchen,” dedicated to the music of American composer Bryan Johanson. Featuring pieces written during the last five years, including “The Illustrated Guitar,” “Oranges,” and “Sonatine-Cahier,” the program also includes some of Johanson’s popular Preludes. The composer will be in attendance, and will take audience questions during a post-concert Q&A.

Free |

October 22, 10:00am – 3:00pm | 听Burke Museum

Celebrate International Archaeology Day with fun activities for all ages at the Burke Museum. Learn about ancient technologies, identify animal bones, sort shells, watch a flintknapping (stone tool making) demonstration, and more.

Find out more about archaeology techniques from Burke archaeologists and event partners as they share tabletop activities, and stories about artifacts and belongings.

Free – $22 tickets |

Beginning in October | 鈥淲ays of Knowing鈥� Podcast

鈥淲ays of Knowing鈥� is an eight-episode podcast connecting humanities research with current events and issues. This season features faculty from the 91探花College of Arts & Sciences as they explore race, immigration, history, the natural world 鈥� even comic books. Each episode analyzes a work, or an idea, and provides additional resources for learning more.

The podcast is a new collaboration between the The World According to Sound and the UW.

Free | More info

Have an event that you would like to see featured in the ArtSci Roundup? Connect with Lauren Zondag (zondagld@uw.edu).

In a world abuzz with smartphones, tablets, 5G and Siri, there are whispers of something new over the horizon 鈥� and it isn鈥檛 artificial intelligence!

A growing field of research seeks to develop technologies built directly on the seemingly strange and contradictory rules of quantum mechanics. These principles underlie the behavior of atoms and everything comprised of atoms, including people. But these rules are only apparent at very small scales. Researchers across the globe are constructing rudimentary quantum computers, which could perform computational tasks that the 鈥渃lassical鈥� computers in our pockets and on our desks simply could not.

To help transform these quantum whispers into a chorus, scientists at the 91探花 are pursuing multiple quantum research projects spanning from creating materials with never-before-seen physical properties to studying the 鈥渜uantum bits鈥� 鈥� or qubits (pronounced “kyu-bits”) 鈥� that make quantum computing possible.

With their in the Department of Physics and the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, 91探花Professor studies the quantum-level properties of crystalline materials for potential applications in electrical and optical quantum technologies. In addition, Fu, who is also a faculty member in the Molecular & Engineering Sciences Institute and the Institute for Nano-engineered Systems, has led efforts to develop a comprehensive graduate curriculum and provide internship opportunities in quantum sciences for students in fields ranging from computer science to chemistry 鈥� all toward the goal of forging a quantum-competent workforce.

91探花News sat down with Fu to talk about the potential of quantum research, and why it鈥檚 so important.

Let鈥檚 start with the obvious. What is “quantum?”

Kai-Mei Fu: Originally, “quantum” just meant “discrete.” It referred to the observation that, at really small scales, something can exist only in discrete states. This is different from our everyday experiences. For example, if you start a car and then accelerate, the car 鈥渁ccesses鈥� every speed. It can occupy any position. But when you get down to these really small systems 鈥� unusually small 鈥� you start to see that every “position” may not be accessible. And similarly, every speed or energy state may not be accessible. Things are “quantized” at this level.

And that’s not the only weird thing that’s going on: At this small scale, not only do things exist in discrete states, but it is possible for things to exist in a combination of two or more different states at once. This is called “superposition,” and that is when the interesting physical phenomena occur.

How is superposition useful in developing quantum technology?

KMF: Well, let’s take quantum computing for example. In the information age of today, a computational “bit” can only exist in one of two possible states: 0 and 1. But with superposition, you could have a qubit that can exist in two different states at the same time. It’s not just that you don’t know which state it’s in. It really is coexisting in two different states. Thus it is possible to compute with many states, in fact exponentially many states, at the same time. With quantum computing and quantum information, the power is in being able to control that superposition.

What are some exciting advancements or applications that could stem from controlling superposition?

KMF: There are four main areas of excitement. My favorite is probably quantum computation. It’s the one that’s furthest out technologically 鈥� right now, computation involving just a handful of qubits has been realized 鈥� but it’s kind of the big one.

We know that the power of quantum computation will be immense because 听superposition is scalable. This means that you would have so much more computational space to utilize, and you could perform computations that our classical computers would need the age of the universe to perform. So, we know that there’s a lot of power in quantum computing. But there’s also a lot of speculation in this field, and questions about how you can harness that power.

Does the 91探花 have a quantum computer?

KMF: It currently does not. We are gathering materials now to construct a quantum processor 鈥� the basis of a quantum computer 鈥� as part of our educational curriculum in this field.

Besides quantum computing, what other applications are there?

KMF: Another area is sensing for more precise measurements. One example: single-atom crystals that can act as sensors. For my research, I work with atoms arranged into a perfect crystal and then I create “defects” by adding in different types of atoms or taking out one atom in the lattice. The defect acts like an artificial atom and it will react to tiny changes nearby, such as a change in a magnetic field. These changes are normally so small that they would be hard to measure at room temperature, but the artificial atom amplifies the changes into something I can see 鈥� sometimes even by eye. For example, some crystals will radiate light when I shine a laser on them. By measuring the light they emit, I can detect a change.

This is so special. I get super excited because we know that all these things are possible in theory, but we’ve just hit the timescale where we’re starting to see real technological applications right now.

That sounds really exciting!

KMF: Another area I’ll mention is quantum simulation. There are a lot of potential applications in this field, such as studying new energy storage systems or figuring out how to make an enzyme better at nitrogen fixation. Essentially these problems require making new materials, but these are complex quantum systems that are hard for classical computers to simulate or predict. But quantum simulation could, and this could be done using a type of quantum computer. The field is expecting a lot of advancement in materials and other areas from quantum simulation.

The final area is quantum communication. When you’re transmitting sensitive information, you can create a key to encrypt it. With quantum encryption you can distribute a key that’s so fundamentally secure that if you have an eavesdropper, they leave a “mark” behind that you can detect.

How big is the field of quantum communication? Is it happening now?

KMF: Well, in the past few years, quantum communication became a prominent topic in government when China .

Let’s shift gears a little to talk about quantum in terms of workforce development. You have companies, national labs and universities all pursuing quantum research. Are there any specific challenges for quantum education?

KMF: What we are doing is crafting a common framework 鈥� a common language 鈥� for education in quantum. Quantum involves many fields, including chemistry, computer science, material science, chemical engineering and theoretical physics. Historically these fields have all had their own approach, their own vocabulary, their own history. At the 91探花, we’ve launched a core curriculum in quantum for graduate students who want to pursue careers in this field. Through the , we also have partners for internships.

We need more scientists in quantum because this is an exciting time. A lot is changing. There are many questions to answer, too many. Every field in quantum is growing in its own way. In the coming years, this is going to change a lot about how we approach problems 鈥� in communication, in software, in medicine and in materials. It will be beyond what we can think about even today.

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

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. 听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.