New grants could help forward physics and technology research

Three grants that could forward research in quantum physics and technology at UW-Madison were secured by university researchers, the National Science Foundation announced today.

The grants — totalling $3 million — were awarded as part of NSF’s RAISE-TAQS initiative, which works to fund advancements in quantum physics. UW-Madison secured three of the 25 grants offered.

According to the NSF, the initiative is meant to build a strong team of participants and encourage them to pursue “exploratory, cutting-edge concepts.”

UW–Madison professor of chemistry Robert Hamers and professors of physics Mark Saffman and Victor Brar plan to use the grants to develop new ways to analyze molecules as well as improve the processing and communication of quantum information.

Hamers said Quantum Information Science, the team’s area of research, is a rapidly growing field, making their research especially important.

“There’s essentially an international race on to develop the methods, tools and intellectual property that will form the future of this field,” Hamers said.

The use of quantum-based principles allows for new ways of storing information, new ways of doing computing and new ways of doing chemical sensing, said Hamers.

Through their research, Hamers said, the university will be able to train graduate and undergraduate students to become the “quantum information” leaders of the next generation.