1/15/2025 Jackson Brunner
Written by Jackson Brunner
Assistant Professor Chris Anderson of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at The Grainger College of Engineering has been selected for a 2025 National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award. These grants are the NSF’s most prestigious awards in support of early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education. Anderson’s CAREER award “Noise-free scalable quantum photonics with silicon carbide” will tackle the major challenges related with scaling quantum systems and develop educational activities at the interface of materials engineering and quantum science. The supported work could lead to impregnable secure networks, better sensors and more powerful interconnected quantum computers.
By the numbers:
- $550,000 total award
- 5-year project (2025-2029)
- 4-inch wafer-scale quantum photonic devices operable at 4 kelvin
- 4 types of qubits to be studied
- 20 educational kits on “quantum gemstones”
The challenge: Contemporary quantum systems struggle with three major limitations: they're restricted in scale, highly susceptible to noise and operate in isolation from broader networks of other quantum devices. These constraints have prevented technology from reaching its full potential in real-world applications.
The solution: The research team will develop new spin qubits using silicon carbide, which can emit photons capable of enabling long-distance quantum entanglement. By integrating these qubits with solid-state photonic circuits, they'll create manufacturable semiconductor quantum devices that can communicate across networks while maintaining quantum coherence.
Educational impact: Beyond the technical advances, this project emphasizes expanding diversity in quantum science. For example, the team will develop specialized activities geared toward middle school girls that bridge materials engineering and quantum concepts. These educational initiatives aim to strengthen the STEM pipeline by engaging underrepresented groups early in their academic careers.
What's next: The research team will focus on creating silicon carbide on insulator (SiCOI) substrates in-house, enabling the fabrication of photonics-compatible devices. They'll investigate optical coherence and noise mitigation strategies in near-surface emitters and work toward demonstrating the first on-chip entanglement of optically active spin qubits in silicon carbide.
Bottom line: This research will make a significant step toward making quantum technology more practical and noise-free. By addressing fundamental challenges in quantum coherence and scalability, the project could help transition quantum technology from laboratory demonstrations to real-world applications.
Illinois Grainger Engineering Affiliations
Chris Anderson is an Illinois Grainger Engineering assistant professor of materials science and engineering in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and is affiliated with both the Department of Physics and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He is a member of the Illinois Quantum Information Science and Technology Center, the Materials Research Laboratory, the Holonyak Micro and Nanotechnology Lab, and the NSF Quantum Leap Challenge Institute on Hybrid Quantum Architectures and Networks.