‘I realized quantum is not science fiction anymore’

In the second installment of our series highlighting the 2023 Open Quantum Initiative fellows, three undergraduates who worked with experimental quantum tools describe their work, discuss what they learned, and offer advice to others who are interested in the growing field. Read the first installment, which offers a short overview of the OQI program as well as interviews with three students who spent their summer researching quantum memory applications. Watch for additional Q&As in the coming days with fellows who studied nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond, worked on quantum communication protocols, researched quantum algorithms, and evaluated defects and dopants in materials for quantum applications.

Perla Bran

Home Institution: Wilbur Wright College
Major: Chemical Engineering
OQI Institution: University of Chicago 
Faculty Mentor: Peter Duda, Technical Director of the Pritzker Nanofabrication Facility

Q: What was the focus of your OQI research this summer?
A: During the summer I worked at the Pritzker Nanofabrication Facility where the engineers, including my mentors, specialized in process management. This meant that I also learned about the processes used in a nanofabrication facility, including electron beam lithography. Graduate students or researchers that plan on using the facility often go to the engineers for advice on parameters. Working in a clean room is incredibly tedious because there are so many parameters to take into account to get a viable recipe for their substrate.  

Q: What was your role?
A: My role as an intern included exploration of the electron beam lithography process and imaging through a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to interpret our findings. The main motivation was understanding which dosage and beam size would be the most optimal for attaining consistent diameters and eccentricity of the hole arrays exposed through an electron beam on our substrate.

Q: What have you gained from the OQI experience?
A: After reflecting, and speaking to my mentor, I have realized the main attributes that I gained from my OQI experience were the ability to be patient and to see through the whole process. What the nanofabrication facility taught me was that experiments are going to be hard, and they will take a very long time. To be honest, I learned how to keep myself from crying, because not only [would that] contaminate the clean room but because I had to be persistent and continue with my project. The many hours I spent in the SEM room and [the times when I] was ready to throw in the towel because I just couldn’t get an image were very humbling. I learned the rough side of research and the never-ending parameters, but with all its flaws I’ve learned that this is the field I want to continue in. 

Q: What new perspectives do you have about quantum information science and engineering (QISE)?
A: Through this internship and speaking to the many experts in this field, I realized quantum is not science fiction anymore. There is such a big push to excel in this field because of the many possibilities for quantum computing, communications, biology, and so much more. Quantum can be the future of our world and the many careers it also offers.

Q: What’s next for you?
A: I will be starting my second year of college. I hope to transfer to the Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to continue my education. During my second year of college, I want to encourage students at my college to explore quantum and its possibilities and maybe even plan a few events for ACS (American Chemical Society). I will also be starting an internship during the fall at Argonne National Laboratory, where I will be learning about entrepreneurship through a startup in their Chain Reaction Innovations program.

Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of research?
A: I enjoy reading outside when it is dark, especially during the fall. Whenever I can or have the time to watch TV, I love watching criminal justice and murder shows. Recently I binge-watched How to Get Away with Murder, and it was so very good. I think the adrenaline I get through watching these shows gives me the motivation to continue my education because I, too, want to be [tough] like Annalise Keating and Emily Prentiss, but in STEM.

Q: What advice do you have for other young people who are interested in pursuing a career in QISE?
A: Tough it out. Starting out, quantum can be very confusing. Someone once said, “If you think you understand quantum mechanics, you don't understand quantum mechanics,” — and that is the most real thing ever. The more I tried to understand what it meant, the more it confused and intrigued me. The characteristics seen at the quantum level are what give scientists so much optimism for our future technologies. This, and the fact that it is incredibly interesting, is the main reason for exploring this field. 

Natasha Ninan

Home Institution: University of Akron
Major: Electrical Engineering
OQI Institution: University of Wisconsin–Madison
Faculty Mentor: Mikhail Kats, Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Q: What was the focus of your OQI research this summer?
A: Our group is working on the design and fabrication of an optical bottle beam trap using a metasurface. Optical bottle beam traps are used to create optical tweezers for quantum devices such as atomic clocks or quantum computers. I worked on designing of the metasurface structure using the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method, which models the electrodynamics using Maxwell's equations. Other group members are working on fabricating the resulting devices.

Q: What was your role?
A: The challenges in using SEM imaging to assess the fabricated structure performance to the design necessitated the development of a simpler method to evaluate overall metasurface performance. I designed the witness sample metasurface that will be fabricated to easily evaluate the fabrication quality.

Q: What have you gained from the OQI experience?
A: Working in the Kats Research Group enabled me to learn more about optical trapping of atoms. In addition, I was able to learn how to design metasurfaces using FDTD and simulate possible fabrication error scenarios. 

Q: What new perspectives do you have about quantum information science and engineering?
A: Being a part of Kats Research Group and the US Quantum Information Science School this summer has given me an insight into the different qubit creation methods. The various methods such as superconducting, trapped ions, and photonic qubits present unique advantages. While these approaches have room for improvement, I expect the various qubit creation methods to become more application specific.

Q: What’s next for you?
A: As a rising senior, I am working on applying for graduate school. This internship has given me the opportunity to explore my research interests. As I navigate the application process, I will be actively seeking projects in the fields of optical engineering, photonics, and quantum sensing.

Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of research?
A: Travelling and hiking. When I'm not working om my coursework and research, I'm usually diving into researching new travel destinations and hiking adventures.

Q: What advice do you have for other young people who are interested in pursuing a career in QISE?
A: QISE is a multidisciplinary field. Having multiple opportunities in academia, industry and the national labs is very important to understand where you would like to contribute in QISE. In addition, it is equally as important to network and be open to hearing about the career paths of researchers in the field. This can provide valuable insights into your own path. 

Shlesha Patel

Home Institution: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Major: Mechanical Engineering
OQI Institution: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 
Faculty Mentor: Peter Abbamonte, Fox Family Professor in Engineering

Q: What was the focus of your OQI research this summer?
A: This summer, my OQI research focused on characterizing the charge particle detector in the Momentum Resolved - Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (M-EELS) instrument. I investigated the functionality of the detector and analyzed the slow dynamics in condensed matter. Exploring this aspect of the detector was an exciting and novel process, as it had never been undertaken before.

Q: What was your role?
A: My role involved working independently on this project. I was responsible for collecting data at different parameters, analyzing the data, and gaining an understanding of how the detector operates.

Q: What have you gained from the OQI experience? 
A: This was my first time working in a lab and doing scientific research. I got to see what the research environment is like. I learned both the theory and hands-on parts of research through this experience. I've also made great connections with scientists, grad students, and other OQI fellows.

Q: What new perspectives do you have about quantum information science and engineering?
A: This was my introduction to QISE, and it was incredible to see how fast this field is growing and the potential it has to make big changes in the world.

Q: What’s next for you?
A: I'll keep studying mechanical engineering for my bachelor's degree and use what I learned from this experience. I'm also thinking about going to graduate school.

Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of research?
A:  I like cooking and hanging out with my family. Taking walks in nature while listening to music is something I really enjoy too.

Q: What advice do you have for other young people who are interested in pursuing a career in QISE?
A: I'd say if you're curious about QISE, don't hesitate to dive in. QISE holds incredible possibilities and exploring them is truly a remarkable journey. 

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