Quantum Materials Graduate Program

Find your place in the new quantum revolution!

Emergent Quantum Materials and Technologies (EQUATE) is a $20 million NSF-funded project placing Nebraska researchers in the second quantum revolution. This project focuses on research and workforce development to advance knowledge on topics related to quantum materials, technologies, and computation. These new technologies will revolutionize fields such as information technology, medicine, meteorology, and cryptography, with an impact on security areas such as defense and banking.

EQUATE consolidates the quantum science and technology expertise of 20 faculty researchers across the four Nebraska research institutions, establishing collaboration and feedback between theory and experiment to guide discoveries and expedite the findings of new emergent quantum materials and phenomena.

quantum cloud computing

Related Fields of Study

  • Quantum Mechanics
  • Nanoscience
  • Chemistry
  • Materials Engineering
  • Physics

Questions

Please direct any questions related to this program to:

Rebecca Lai (rlai2@unl.edu)

 

Mentors and Projects

Voltage-controlled spinstructures, magnetoelectricity, and quantum crosswires for novel qubit realizations.

In this project, the student will fabricate magnetoelectric oxide thin films and nanometric crosswires to study voltage-controlled spintronics, voltage-controlled magnetism, magnetotransport, and quantum dot qubits.

  1. Avatar for Christian Binek
    Professor Physics & Astronomy University of Nebraska-Lincoln
    Work
    Address
    JH 310G
    Lincoln NE 68588-0299
    Phone
    Work 402-472-5231 On-campus 2-5231
    Email
    cbinek@unl.edu
    Website

The influence of geometry on electronic structure. 

In this project, the relationship of symmetry and electronic structure is explored using angle-resolved photoemission, angle-resolved spin polarized inverse photoemission and X-ray dichroism to understand the origins of topologically protected spin currents at interfaces and for molecular thin films.

  1. Avatar for Peter Dowben
    Professor Physics & Astronomy University of Nebraska-Lincoln
    Work
    Address
    JH 310L
    Lincoln NE 68588-0299
    Phone
    Work 402-472-9838 On-campus 2-9838
    Email
    pdowben@unl.edu

Structural dynamics and optoelectronic properties in advanced materials. 

In this project, the student will grow bulk, micro, or nanocrystals and use laser spectroscopy and microscopy to explore their lattice motions, charge carrier dynamics, and solid-state chemistry.

  1. Avatar for Yinsheng Guo
    Assistant Professor Chemistry University of Nebraska-Lincoln
    Work
    Address
    HAH 529A
    Lincoln NE 68588-0304
    Phone
    Work 402-472-2439 On-campus 2-2439
    Email
    yinshengguo@unl.edu

Scanning probe microscopy studies of van der Waals materials. 

In this project, the student will participate in the preparation of two-dimensional van der Waals materials and characterization using atomic force microscopy and piezoresponse force microscopy.

  1. Avatar for Xia Hong
    Professor Physics & Astronomy University of Nebraska-Lincoln
    Work
    Address
    JH 310J
    Lincoln NE 68588-0299
    Phone
    Work 402-472-2779 On-campus 2-2779
    Email
    xia.hong@unl.edu
    Website

Transport phenomena in textured altermagnets. 

In this project, the student will learn analytical techniques to study altermagnets and hybrid altermagnet/superconductor systems.

  1. Avatar for Alexey Kovalev
    Associate Professor Physics & Astronomy University of Nebraska-Lincoln
    Work
    Address
    JH 310K
    Lincoln NE 68588-0299
    Phone
    Work 402-472-2880 On-campus 2-2880
    Email
    alexey.kovalev@unl.edu

Design, synthesis, and characterization of spin crossover complexes and nanocomposites. 

In this project, the student will learn to design, synthesize, and characterize spin crossover complexes and fabricate polymer nanocomposites for device applications. 

  1. Avatar for Rebecca Lai
    Professor Chemistry University of Nebraska-Lincoln
    Work
    Address
    HAH 651
    Lincoln NE 68588-0304
    Phone
    Work 402-472-5340 On-campus 2-5340
    Email
    rlai2@unl.edu
    Website

#1 Quantum Sensing.

In this project, the student will perform micro/nano-scale magnetic resonance imaging of biomaterials (single cells, proteins).

#2 Quantum photonics. 

In this project, the student will develop hybrid photonics nanostructures for scalable quantum communication networks."

  1. Avatar for Abdelghani Laraoui
    Assistant Professor Mechanical & Materials Engineering University of Nebraska-Lincoln
    Work
    Address
    NH W312
    Lincoln NE 68588-0526
    Phone
    Work 402-472-7680 On-campus 2-7680
    Email
    alaraoui2@unl.edu
    Website

Multilayer systems for high-power electronics. 

The student will use atomic layer deposition to create Ga2O3-ZnO2 solid-state materials in the search for high-power electronics

  1. Avatar for Eva Franke-Schubert
    Professor Electrical & Computer Engineering University of Nebraska-Lincoln
    Work
    Address
    NH 430R
    Lincoln NE 68588-0511
    Phone
    Work 402-472-3771 On-campus 2-3771
    Email
    efranke3@unl.edu

Super-resolution THz magnetic resonance ellipsometry. 

In this project, the student will learn to design and build super-resolution THz magnetic resonance ellipsometry instruments and carry out experiments on future power electronic materials.

  1. Avatar for Mathias Schubert
    Professor Electrical & Computer Engineering University of Nebraska-Lincoln
    Work
    Address
    SEC C290S
    Lincoln NE 68588-0511
    Phone
    Work 402-472-3771 On-campus 2-3771
    Email
    mschubert4@unl.edu

Synthesis and Electronic Properties of Quasi-1D Materials. 

The student will participate in a project on the synthesis and electrical characterization of 1D chains of emerging semiconducting materials, such as TiS3 and HfSe3, for miniaturized electronics.

  1. Avatar for Alexander Sinitskii
    Professor Chemistry University of Nebraska-Lincoln
    Work
    Address
    HAH 604C
    Lincoln NE 68588-0304
    Phone
    Work 402-472-3543 On-campus 2-3543
    Email
    sinitskii@unl.edu
    Website

Topological magnetism in amorphous materials. 

In this project, the student will participate in the synthesis of amorphous transition metal-metalloid films and characterize structural, chemical, magnetic, and electronic properties to correlate those with each other.

  1. Avatar for Robert Streubel
    Assistant Professor Physics & Astronomy University of Nebraska-Lincoln
    Work
    Address
    JH 310C
    Lincoln NE 68588-0299
    Phone
    Work 402-472-6933 On-campus 2-6933
    Email
    streubel@unl.edu
    Website

Computational studies of advanced spintronic materials.

In this project, the student will learn how to use modern computational techniques to explore properties of electronic materials relevant to spintronics.

  1. Avatar for Evgeny Tsymbal
    Professor Physics & Astronomy University of Nebraska-Lincoln
    Work
    Address
    JH 310B
    Lincoln NE 68588-0299
    Phone
    Work 402-472-2586 On-campus 2-2586
    Email
    tsymbal@unl.edu

Magnetism of spin-crossover organic thin films.

In this project, the student will synthesize and characterize the growth, structural, transport, and magnetic properties of organic thin films with spin-crossover transitions.


 

  1. Avatar for Xiaoshan Xu
    Associate Professor Physics & Astronomy University of Nebraska-Lincoln
    Work
    Address
    JH 310M
    Lincoln NE 68588-0299
    Phone
    Work 402-472-6134 On-campus 2-6134
    Email
    xiaoshan.xu@unl.edu
    Website

Magnetism in Ultracold Potassium. 

In this project, the student will laser-cool a gas of potassium atoms to one millionth of a degree above absolute zero and study spin-entanglement in a Bose-Einstein condensate.

  1. Avatar for Jonathan Wrubel
    Associate Professor Creighton University University of Nebraska-Lincoln
    Work
    Address
    Hixson Lied Science Building - G68
    Phone
    Work 402-280-2638
    Email
    jonathanwrubel@creighton.edu
    Website

Funding

Funding for this research program is pending approval from NSF for the final year of a 5-year program.

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