A Hunter College Physicist was awarded a three-year, $800,000 grant by the National Science Foundation to further the emerging field of quantum information science and engineering (QISE).
The grant obtained by Physics and Astronomy Professor Yuhang Ren funds a project to enable control of electron spins and their long-distance interactions (over many interatomic spacings) using a spin pattern called persistent spin helix. This pattern, created and controlled by applying an electric field in ultra-thin oxide layers, offers a new way to link distant spin qubits for quantum computing.
The project aims to train historically underrepresented STEM students and launch internship programs fostering research in QISE, in close collaboration with teams at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the University of Maryland.
“Hunter’s small but mighty Physics and Astronomy Department helps train a diverse workforce of next-generation physicists while advancing technologies for quantum computing, modeling, and sensing,” said Professor Ren. “We thank the NSF for this grant, which funds our innovative quantum information science and engineering research.”
