Enabling Quantum Leap: Q-AMASE-i: MonArk Quantum Foundry: Rapidly Incubating Translational Advances in QISE with a 2D-Quantum Materials Pipeline (2D-QMaP)

非技术摘要：该项目建立了MonArk Quantum Foundry，由蒙大拿州立大学和阿肯色大学联合运营，旨在加快层状二维(2D)材料和设备的开发，应用于量子传感、通信和计算。2D材料数以千计，为下一代量子信息科学技术提供了一个庞大的潜在系统库。对这些材料的探索为美国量子产业的发展提供了重要机遇，但巨大的参数空间带来了几个艰巨的挑战，减缓了科学发现和将发现转化为量子技术的步伐。MonArk Quantum Foundry通过以下方式直接应对这些挑战：(1)开发材料合成和制造工具，以快速组装由二维材料制成的原型量子器件；(2)将这些工具与下一代量子相关表征仪器无缝集成；(3)使这一新开发的基础设施对学术、政府和行业研究团体开放；(4)提供受开源启发的基础设施，以加快美国各地的量子研究人员和教育工作者之间的样本、想法、技术知识和教学资源的交流。除了影响更广泛的社区，MonArk Quantum Foundry还加速了蒙大拿州立大学和阿肯色大学团队的合作研究重点，以利用二维量子材料生成和操作光的量子态，创新新的量子比特架构，并探索二维量子磁现象。理论研究和实验研究之间的产业伙伴关系和密切的协同作用在铸造活动的各个层面都得到了深入的整合。劳动力发展、研究生和本科生课程开发以及招聘活动的重点是在美国的中心地带创建一支多样化的、懂量子的劳动力队伍。技术摘要：该项目建立了一个量子材料铸造厂，解决了二维(2D)量子材料和器件研究领域的关键翻译科学挑战。两个“2D量子材料管道”将在蒙大拿州立大学和阿肯色大学的Foundry工地开发和托管，这两个管道将2D量子研究最繁琐和耗时的过程的机器人自动化与与行业合作伙伴密切合作开发的尖端量子表征仪器相结合，以实现最有效的量子研究。2D量子材料管道利用技术创新使研究人员能够快速从新2D系统的概念发展到待测试和表征的量子设备，加速了该领域翻译科学的方方面面。2D量子材料管道的能力以及获得的技术知识和科学发现通过合作和开源资源向研究人员提供，这些资源扩大了Foundry活动和基础设施在美国各地的覆盖范围。Foundry的内部研究活动汇集了实验和理论专业知识、来自大数据和机器学习的新概念以及行业指导。2D量子材料管道可以探索新的量子系统和现象，如2D量子磁性和铁电性，以及发展量子技术，如单光子发射器、纠缠光子对源和新的量子比特。教育和外联活动包括网站、网络研讨会、短期课程、公共活动、为初中/高中/本科生/研究生提供的面对面实验室培训，以及为来自行业的技术工人提供的持续专业发展。Foundry通过整合研究和学习培养一支精通量子的劳动力队伍，并通过将早期职业教师提升到领导职位来建立量子科学的领导力，其影响将持续数十年。该项目由凝聚态物质物理计划、材料研究部门和既定的刺激竞争研究计划(EPSCoR)联合资助。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Non-technical Abstract:This project establishes the MonArk Quantum Foundry that is jointly operated by Montana State University and the University of Arkansas to accelerate the development of layered two-dimensional (2D) materials and devices for applications in quantum sensing, communication, and computing. Numbering in the thousands, 2D materials offer an expansive library of potential systems for next-generation quantum information science technologies. The exploration of these materials presents significant opportunities to grow the quantum industry in the US, but the vast parameter space presents several formidable challenges that slow the pace of scientific discovery and translating discoveries into quantum technologies. The MonArk Quantum Foundry directly addresses these challenges by (1) the development of materials synthesis and fabrication tools tailored to rapidly assemble prototype quantum devices made from two-dimensional materials, (2) the seamless integration of these tools with next-generation quantum-relevant characterization instrumentation, (3) making this newly developed infrastructure openly accessible to academic, government, and industrial research groups, and (4) providing open-source inspired infrastructure to accelerate the exchange of samples, ideas, technical knowledge, and pedagogical resources to quantum researchers and educators across the US. In addition to impacting the broader community, the MonArk Quantum Foundry accelerates collaborative research priorities of teams from Montana State University and the University of Arkansas to leverage two-dimensional quantum materials for generating and manipulating quantum states of light, innovating new qubit architectures, and exploring quantum magnetic phenomena in two-dimensions. Industrial partnerships and close synergy between theoretical and experimental research are deeply integrated at all levels of Foundry activities. The workforce development, graduate and undergraduate curriculum development, and recruiting activities focus on creating a diverse, quantum-literate workforce in the heartland of the US.Technical Abstract:This project establishes a quantum materials foundry that tackles critical translational scientific challenges in the research area of two-dimensional (2D) quantum materials and devices. Two “2D Quantum Materials Pipelines” will be developed and hosted at the Foundry sites at Montana State University and the University Arkansas that integrate robotic automation of the most cumbersome and time-consuming processes of 2D quantum research with cutting-edge quantum characterization instrumentation developed in close collaboration with industrial partners for maximally effective quantum research. The 2D Quantum Materials Pipelines leverage technological innovations to enable researchers to rapidly progress from the conception of a new 2D system to a quantum device to be tested and characterized, accelerating all aspects of translational science in this field. The capabilities of the 2D Quantum Materials Pipelines as well as the acquired technical knowledge and scientific discoveries are made available to researchers through collaborations and open-source resources that expand the reach of the Foundry activities and infrastructure across the US. The in-house research activities of the Foundry converge experimental and theoretical expertise, new concepts from big data and machine learning, and industrial guidance. The 2D Quantum Materials Pipelines enable exploration of novel quantum systems and phenomena such as 2D quantum magnetism and ferroelectricity and development of quantum technologies such as single-photon emitters, entangled photon-pair sources, and novel qubits. Education and outreach activities include websites, webinars, short courses, public engagements, in-person laboratory training for middle/high school/undergraduate/graduate students, and continued professional development for technical workers from industry. The Foundry develops a quantum-literate workforce by integrated research and learning and builds leadership in the quantum sciences by advancing early-career faculty into leadership positions, the impact of which will endure for decades.This project is jointly funded by Condensed Matter Physics Program, Division of Materials Research, and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).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.