Linking Quantum Sensing Technologies across Disciplines: a Convergent Quantum Sciences and Engineering Graduate Training Program

量子传感器依靠自然在原子和亚原子尺度上的独特物理性质来检测在人类规模的生活经验领域中逃避识别的现象。随着这种量子行为得到越来越多的应用，对准备发现、开发和部署这一新兴领域的科学和工程进步的劳动力的需求也越来越大。此外，认识到实验室的发现如何影响经济和私营部门，对于利用这些发展使社会受益至关重要。为了利用这些发展，美国国家科学基金会研究培训生(NRT)项目“跨学科连接量子传感技术(LINQ-STL)”正在建立一个跨学科研究计划，将华盛顿大学、密苏里大学圣路易斯分校、圣路易斯大学和哈里斯·斯托州立大学之间在圣路易斯地区的研究工作联系起来。该项目的愿景是在化学、生物、物理、医学、工程和数学等学科的科学家和工程师之间建立量子流畅性。LINQ-STL通过建立共同的词汇、研究社区意识、研究身份和技术技能来实现这些目标，这些技能将为学员开始一系列专业职业生涯做好准备。该项目预计将培训100名学生，其中包括40名来自化学、物理、计算机、电气和系统工程博士项目的资助学员。此外，该项目的研究人员试图通过展示与学生的职业兴趣相一致的职业建设实习和经验如何影响他们的职业轨迹和成功，来创造研究生教育的制度变革。这一模型将被广泛传播到其他学科和机构。该项目的实验、理论和计算工作由三个基本领域指导：“向外看”地球以外的宇宙；“向内”量子比特和材料现象的介观和微观领域；以及“寻找我们还看不到的领域”，包括识别迄今未测量的领域，如暗物质探测。LINQ-STL将寻求量子传感的机会，其交叉主题包括新仪器和新材料、通过机器学习实现数据支持的科学以及数十年能量尺度上的光子探测。研究人员“放眼望去”(天体物理学)将开发跨越光子能量数量级的观测工具，从而能够获取大量数据集。研究人员在最小的材料长度尺度上“观察”将使用光子光谱仪和材料缺陷带来的意想不到的好处来探索新的行为。最后，“寻找我们还看不到的地方”包括适用于生物学和医学成像的新的量子光成像方式，以及对材料中的拓扑和量子现象的新探测器。该项目团队的研究还将探索学生如何通过他们的科学认同、种族和性别认同以及功效信念将自己视为科学学习者-通过承认认同在使学生成为下一代领导者和教师方面的作用来使劳动力多样化。NSF研究培训(NRT)计划旨在鼓励开发和实施大胆的、具有潜在变革性的STEM研究生教育培训模式。该计划致力于通过创新的、基于证据的、与不断变化的劳动力和研究需求保持一致的综合培训模式，在高度优先的跨学科或融合研究领域对STEM研究生进行有效培训。由于它与数学和物理科学局(MPS)内的研究推动力保持一致，该项目得到了MPS多学科活动办公室的联合资助。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。

Quantum sensors rely on the unique physical properties of nature at the atomic and subatomic scales to detect phenomena that evade identification in the human-scaled realm of lived experience. As such quantum behavior finds increasingly more applications, there is a growing need for a workforce prepared to discover, develop, and deploy the science and engineering advancements in this emerging field. In addition, awareness of how discoveries in the lab can impact the economy and the private sector is critical to harnessing these developments for society to benefit. To capitalize on such developments, this NSF Research Traineeships (NRT) project, "Linking Quantum Sensing TechnoLogies across Disciplines (LinQ-STL)," is establishing an interdisciplinary program of study to connect research efforts across the St. Louis region between Washington University, the University of Missouri – St. Louis, St. Louis University, and Harris Stowe State University. The project’s vision is to build quantum fluency among scientists and engineers spanning the disciplines of chemistry, biology, physics, medicine, engineering, and mathematics. LinQ-STL achieves these goals by building common vocabulary, research community awareness, research identity, and technical skills that will prepare the trainees to launch a range of professional careers. The project anticipates training 100 students, including 40 funded trainees from chemistry, physics, computer, and electrical and system engineering doctorate programs. Furthermore, the project's investigators seek to create institutional change in graduate education by demonstrating how career-building internships and experiences aligned with students’ professional interests can affect their career trajectories and success. This model will be broadly disseminated to other disciplines and institutions.Three essential areas guide the experimental, theoretical, and computational work of this project: “looking out” beyond the Earth into the universe; “looking in” to meso- and microscopic domains of quantum bits and materials phenomena; and “looking where we cannot yet see” comprising efforts to identify heretofore unmeasured domains such as dark matter detection. LinQ-STL will pursue opportunities for quantum sensing, with cross-cutting themes such as new instrumentation and new materials, data-enabled science via machine learning, and photon detection over decades of energy scales. Researchers “looking out” (astrophysics) will develop observational tools across orders of magnitude in photon energy, enabling the acquisition of massive data sets. Researchers “looking in” at the smallest material length scales will use photon spectroscopies and the unexpected benefits of materials defects to probe new behaviors. Finally, “looking where we cannot yet see” includes new quantum light imaging modalities applicable in biology and medical imaging, and new probes of topological and quantum phenomena in materials. Research by the project team will also probe how students perceive themselves as science learners via their science identity, racial and gender identity, and efficacy beliefs—to diversify the workforce by acknowledging the role of identity in enabling students to become the next generation of leaders and teachers.The NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) Program is designed to encourage the development and implementation of bold, new potentially transformative models for STEM graduate education training. The program is dedicated to effective training of STEM graduate students in high priority interdisciplinary or convergent research areas through comprehensive traineeship models that are innovative, evidence-based, and aligned with changing workforce and research needs. Because of its alignment with the research thrusts within the Directorate of Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS), the project is receiving co-funding from the MPS Office of Multidisciplinary Activities.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.