ExpandQISE: Track 2: Developing Research and Education Programs in Quantum Information Science and Engineering with Research on Locally Tunable 2D Topological Superconductors

非技术性描述：近年来，量子信息科学与工程（QISE）取得了显着进展，特别是量子计算，量子传感，量子通信和量子模拟。随着兴趣和投资的迅速扩大，QISE的教育和劳动力发展工作变得越来越重要，特别是在该国的农村地区。这个为期五年的项目旨在通过与普渡大学的密切合作，在怀俄明州大学的QISE新兴领域发展研究和教育能力，普渡大学的QISE研究和教育计划已经建立并富有成效。该项目包含两个基本组成部分：1）进行一项尖端研究项目，探索下一代量子计算机的二维（2D）量子材料的奇异特性（例如，拓扑超导性）; 2）为怀俄明州大学未来的QISE劳动力开发本科和研究生教育计划。这一合作努力有望打破现有的障碍，提高参与度，并在怀俄明州的QISE建立研究和教育的临界质量，从而保持其经济竞争力，并推动变革性的科学进步。技术描述：为未来的高级计算开发新的量子技术一直是一个迫切的需求，也是全球范围内的技术竞赛。为了保持经济竞争力，维护国家安全，并在对QISE的兴趣和投资迅速扩大的情况下推动变革性的科学进步，相关的教育和可持续的劳动力发展工作变得越来越重要。与普渡大学合作，在那里建立了QISE研究和教育计划，并富有成效，来自怀俄明州大学的一个团队正在承担这一重要和关键的任务。这项合作活动开发的方法来操纵原子薄拓扑超导体中的电子，结构和拓扑自由度之间的耦合，并设计和制造新的拓扑约瑟夫森结架构，用于未来的容错拓扑量子计算。理论分析和建模进一步使拓扑超导和马约拉纳费米子在2D极限的物理学的基本理解。这个合作项目还建立了必要的基础设施，通过在本科和研究生水平开发新的学位课程，招聘新的教师，并建设国家的最先进的设施，在怀俄明州的大学QISE发展未来的劳动力。该团队进一步寻求与行业和国家实验室合作伙伴的相互互动，为本科生和研究生提供研究/教育机会。学术学位课程和劳动力发展计划为怀俄明州大学的物理，化学，数学，电气工程和计算机科学学生提供独特的研究和教育经验。这一合作努力有望建立一个全国性的教育模式，以扩大QISE相关的研究和教育活动，在该国的农村地区和/或机构没有或欠发达的QISE programmes.This奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过评估使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准的支持。

Non-technical Description:In recent years, remarkable progress has been made in quantum information science and engineering (QISE), particularly for quantum computing, quantum sensing, quantum communications and quantum simulations. With the rapidly expanding interest and investment, education and workforce development efforts in QISE are becoming increasingly critical, particularly in the country's rural regions. This five-year project is designed to develop research and education capacities in the emerging field of QISE at the University of Wyoming through close collaboration with Purdue University, where QISE research and education programs are established and productive. This project contains two essential components: 1) conducting a cutting-edge research project of exploring exotic properties (for example, topological superconductivity) of two-dimensional (2D) quantum materials for next-generation quantum computers; and 2) developing education programs at both undergraduate and graduate levels for future workforce in QISE at the University of Wyoming. This collaborative effort is expected to break the existing barrier, increase participation, and build the critical mass of research and education in QISE in Wyoming, thus maintaining its economic competitiveness and fueling transformative scientific advancement.Technical Description:Developing novel quantum technologies for future advanced computing has been an urgent need and a technology race worldwide. To maintain economic competitiveness, sustain national security, and fuel transformative scientific advancement in a time of rapidly expanding interest and investment in QISE, relevant education and sustainable workforce development efforts are becoming increasingly critical. In collaboration with Purdue University, where QISE research and education programs are established and productive, a team from the University of Wyoming is undertaking this important and critical task. This collaborative activity develops methodologies to manipulate the coupling between electronic, structural, and topological degrees of freedom in atomically thin topological superconductors and to design and fabricate novel topological Josephson junction architectures for future fault-tolerant topological quantum computing. Theoretical analysis and modeling further enable the fundamental understanding of the physics of topological superconductivity and Majorana fermions at the 2D limit. This collaborative project also establishes the necessary infrastructures for developing the future workforce in QISE at the University of Wyoming by developing new degree programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, recruiting new faculty, and constructing state-of-the-art facilities. The team further pursues mutual interactions with industry and national laboratory partners to offer research/education opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students. The academic degree programs and workforce development plan provide unique research and educational experiences for Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science students at the University of Wyoming. This collaborative effort is expected to set up a national educational model for expanding QISE-related research and education activities in the country’s rural regions and/or institutions with no or underdeveloped QISE programs.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.