RII Track-1: Emergent Quantum Materials and Technologies (EQUATE)

在“第二次量子革命”中，量子力学被应用于信息理论和信息技术。内布拉斯加州正在参与第二次量子革命，启动了一个关于新兴量子材料和技术(EQUATE)的跨学科、跨部门和多校园的研究和教育集群，以提高量子科学和技术领域的司法竞争力。该项目的重点是研究和劳动力发展，以促进与量子材料、技术和计算相关的主题的知识。量子材料是一类新的材料，它在宏观长度尺度上表现出量子现象，并有望通过量子技术的出现来推动技术版图的发展。这些新技术将给信息技术、医疗技术和密码学等领域带来革命性的变化，并对国防和银行等安全领域产生影响。EQUATE首次汇集了内布拉斯加大学林肯分校、内布拉斯加大学奥马哈分校、内布拉斯加大学科尔尼分校和克雷顿大学与内布拉斯加州社区和部落学院合作的互补量子科学和技术专业知识，为内布拉斯加州打开了独特的机会。EQUATE整合了内布拉斯加州四个研究机构的20名教职研究人员的量子科学和技术专业知识，建立了理论和实验之间的合作和反馈，以指导发现并加快新出现的量子材料和现象的发现。内布拉斯加州在尖端纳米材料研究方面的历史使EQUATE项目不仅处于量子材料研究和教育的前沿，而且还积极塑造方向，以帮助确保内布拉斯加州和国家未来的经济福祉。Equate的主要研究目标是将内布拉斯加州带入设计、合成、生长和使用具有大规模量子属性的材料和混合系统的科学发现和创新的前沿，这些材料和混合系统应用于传感、计量、通信和信息处理。EQUATE分为三个重点研究小组(FRGS)。FRG 1将探索由各种量子和拓扑材料中的关联、拓扑和自旋轨道耦合之间的复杂相互作用所驱动的紧急现象。FRG 2将通过探索用于量子传感和计量的固态自旋量子比特，以及用于超快、紧凑和低功率量子通信纳米光子设备的光子，来解决阻碍量子技术的当前限制。FRG 3将利用玻色爱因斯坦凝聚体实现量子仿真和量子计算，这些凝聚体在强关联多体物理的基本问题中有应用，并可能允许在限制当前平台的超低温条件下进行量子计算。这三个FRGS通过结合基础科学、应用和计算活动而相辅相成。这些都是在司法管辖区内推进量子科学知识和技术所必需的。该项目还向不同级别的参与者介绍量子科学主题和概念，从K-12学生及其教师到大学教师，以培训参与机构和整个内布拉斯加州的下一代量子科学家和工程师。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。

In the “second quantum revolution,” quantum mechanics is applied to information theory and information technology. The State of Nebraska is participating in the second quantum revolution by launching an interdisciplinary, interdepartmental, and multi-campus research and education cluster on Emergent Quantum Materials and Technologies (EQUATE) to increase jurisdictional competitiveness in the area of quantum science and technologies. The project focuses on research and workforce development to advance knowledge on topics related to quantum materials, technologies, and computation. Quantum materials are a new class of materials that exhibit quantum phenomena at macroscopic length scales and are expected to advance the technological landscape through the advent of quantum technologies. These new technologies will revolutionize fields such as information technology, medical technology, and cryptography, with impact on security areas such as defense and banking. EQUATE converges for the first-time the complementary quantum science and technology expertise of the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, the University of Nebraska at Omaha, the University of Nebraska at Kearney, and Creighton University, in partnership with Nebraska’s community and tribal colleges, to open up unique opportunities for Nebraska. EQUATE consolidates the quantum science and technology expertise of 20 faculty researchers across the four Nebraska research institutions, establishing collaboration and feedback between theory and experiment to guide discoveries and expedite the findings of new emergent quantum materials and phenomena. Nebraska’s history of cutting-edge nanomaterials research has positioned the EQUATE project not only to be at the forefront of quantum materials research and education, but also to actively shape directions to help secure the future economic well-being of the State of Nebraska and the nation. EQUATE’s main research goal is to bring Nebraska to the forefront of scientific discoveries and innovation in the design, synthesis, growth, and use of materials and hybrid systems with large-scale quantum properties for applications in sensing, metrology, communication, and information processing. EQUATE is divided into three focused research groups (FRGs). FRG 1 will explore the emergent phenomena driven by the complex interplay between correlation, topology, and spin-orbit coupling in a variety of quantum and topological materials. FRG 2 will address current limitations impeding quantum technology by exploring solid-state spin qubits for quantum sensing and metrology, and photons for ultrafast, compact, and low-power quantum communication nanophotonic devices. FRG 3 will utilize Bose Einstein condensates for the implementation of quantum emulation and quantum computation, which have applications in fundamental problems of strongly-correlated, many-body physics and can potentially allow quantum computation above the ultra-low temperature regime that limits current platforms. The three FRGs complement each other by combining fundamental science, applications, and computational activities. These are necessary to advance quantum science knowledge and technologies in the jurisdiction. The project also introduces quantum science topics and concepts to various levels of participants, from K-12 students and their teachers to university faculty, to train the next generation of quantum scientists and engineers across participating institutions and throughout Nebraska.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.