UW ECE, ME, CSE seek outstanding faculty candidates in quantum information science & technology

The University of Washington Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, and Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering seek outstanding candidates with expertise in quantum information science and technology (QIST) to apply for new full-time faculty positions. The new ECE and ME positions are supported by a UW College of Engineering cluster hiring initiative in QIST, while new CSE hires in QIST will be closely aligned with UW’s community of QIST researchers.

UW team receives National Science Foundation award to help increase capacity of quantum computing systems

A team led by UW Electrical & Computer Engineering professors Mo Li, Arka Majumdar and Karl Böhringer was selected to participate in the National Science Foundation’s Convergence Accelerator, a new initiative to accelerate use-inspired research addressing societal challenges. The team will be working to increase the capacity of quantum computing systems to retain and process information.

Google’s Quantum Computer Achieves Chemistry Milestone

QuantumX steering committee member Dr. Nathan Wiebe, a senior scientist at the Pacific Northwest National Lab and an affiliate professor of physics at the UW, was part of the team that performed a record-breaking simulation of a chemical reaction using Google’s quantum computer. This result was published in the August 28 issue of Science Magazine and paves the way toward quantum chemistry, which would allow scientists to design better batteries or therapeutics for a cleaner and healthier world. Read more about this achievement in this Scientific American feature.

Laser allows solid-state refrigeration of a semiconductor material

A team led by materials science and engineering professor Peter Pauzauskie used an infrared laser to cool a solid semiconductor by at least 20 degrees C, or 36 F, below room temperature. Their findings were reported in a paper published June 23 in Nature Communications. Lasers that can cool materials could be adapted in the future by scientists from various fields to enhance the performance of quantum sensors.