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

非技术描述：近年来，量子信息科学与工程（QISE）取得了显著进展，特别是在量子计算、量子传感、量子通信和量子模拟方面。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，发展怀俄明大学QISE新兴领域的研究和教育能力，普渡大学是QISE研究和教育项目建立和富有成效的地方。该项目包含两个基本组成部分：1)开展一个前沿研究项目，探索用于下一代量子计算机的二维（2D）量子材料的奇异性质（例如拓扑超导性）；2)为怀俄明大学QISE的未来劳动力开发本科和研究生水平的教育项目。这一合作努力有望打破现有的障碍，增加参与，并在怀俄明州的QISE建立关键的研究和教育质量，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：为未来的先进计算开发新的量子技术已经成为一项迫切的需求和全球范围内的技术竞赛。在对QISE的兴趣和投资迅速扩大的时代，为了保持经济竞争力，维持国家安全，并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。在普渡大学的合作下，来自怀俄明大学的一个团队正在承担这项重要而关键的任务。普渡大学是QISE研究和教育项目建立和富有成效的地方。这项合作活动开发了方法来操纵原子薄拓扑超导体中电子、结构和拓扑自由度之间的耦合，并为未来的容错拓扑量子计算设计和制造新颖的拓扑约瑟夫森结架构。理论分析和建模进一步实现了对二维极限拓扑超导和马约拉纳费米子物理的基本理解。该合作项目还通过开发本科和研究生水平的新学位课程、招聘新教师和建设最先进的设施，为怀俄明大学QISE发展未来劳动力建立必要的基础设施。该团队进一步追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国家教育模式，在该国农村地区和/或没有或不发达的QISE项目的机构中扩大与QISE相关的研究和教育活动。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.