ECE faculty play a crucial role in the interdisciplinary quantum science and engineering community, contributing to groundbreaking advancements that are poised to reshape our lives, economy, and the world. As part of this ongoing effort, Purdue University recently hosted the fourth annual Quantum Science Center (QSC) Summer School, attracting more than 100 participants. The event featured 29 speakers from national laboratories, industry leaders, and universities across the globe. Students and early-career members of the QSC — a Department of Energy initiative based at Oak Ridge National Laboratory — engaged in lectures, hands-on workshops, poster sessions, and panel discussions alongside colleagues from other DOE National Quantum Information Science Research Centers.
For those unable to attend in person at Purdue’s campus in West Lafayette, Indiana, the Purdue Quantum Science and Engineering Institute livestreamed the event via its YouTube channel, Quantum Coffeehouse. The event was designed to address the professional development needs of emerging scientists and engineers, empowering them to step out of their comfort zones and grow as valuable contributors to the quantum workforce.
Alexandra Boltasseva, the Ron and Dotty Garvin Tonjes Distinguished Professor of ECE, is the QSC workforce development lead. She says the term “school” encompasses not only learning but also the formation of lifelong connections and fun. To support these goals, the summer school featured talks covering various disciplines within the quantum context, such as chemistry, optics, sensing, materials, computing, and machine learning. While full-scale quantum computers have yet to be realized, smaller quantum systems have already proven effective as simulation tools. Researchers are exploring new approaches that could expand the field and provide exciting career opportunities for students who exhibit both curiosity and motivation.
QSC researchers are making significant progress in several areas: they are developing materials to enable topological quantum computing, creating quantum sensors to characterize topological states and detect dark matter, and designing quantum algorithms and simulations to advance our understanding of quantum materials, chemistry, and quantum field theories. These efforts position the QSC to drive scientific breakthroughs, advance quantum technologies, and ensure the U.S. remains at the forefront of secure, energy-efficient computing and quantum research.