NEWS
NORMAN, OKLA. – Alisa Javadi, Ph.D., professor at the University of Oklahoma School of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics and Astronomy, has received funding from the U.S. Department of Energy Early Career Research Program for research that offers the potential for advancing quantum technology development.
Javadi’s research will test the use of cerium oxide as a host for quantum bits, or qubits. Qubits, the building blocks of quantum computing, need an environment free of magnetic noise to function properly. Isotopic purification, which removes magnetic nuclei, is the only guaranteed solution, but it is costly. Currently, diamond is the leading material for quantum emitters. However, diamonds are expensive and contain magnetic carbon atoms, which require further isotopic purification.
Javadi’s project explores a promising alternative. Cerium oxide is made of cerium and oxygen, which both lack magnetic nuclei. By providing a noise-free environment, it is an ideal candidate for hosting qubits. Javadi says that this project will contribute to the progress of photonic quantum technologies and that these discoveries could significantly impact a broad range of disciplines, such as secure communication technologies and biology.
The study's first phase will focus on identifying color centers, or optically active quantum bits, and understanding their properties. Color centers are typically arrangements of extrinsic atoms in the host, atoms that are not native to the host. The team will use theoretical studies to narrow the search for the right combination of these atoms to a handful of candidates. They will then grow the host crystals through pulsed laser deposition, a technique that allows for testing with short turnaround times. The team will then conduct room-temperature and cryogenic studies to test the photon emission from these color centers and validate the theoretical predictions.
The project will also explore the role that geometry plays in the optical emission of ensembles of emitters. One phenomenon of interest is superradiance, where quantum emitters work collectively to generate bursts of energy. Javadi will compare how geometry influences superradiance in different forms of arrangement of emitters, including a three-dimensional crystal and a two-dimensional sheet.
Javadi earned his doctoral degree from the Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen. He was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Copenhagen and at the University of Basel. He has received a European Research Council Starting Grant and the Marie Skłodwska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship from the European Commission. His research interests include quantum sensing, communication and quantum light sources.
Learn more about Javadi’s research group here.
About the project
“Color Centers in Noise-Free Hosts for Quantum Sensing and Communication Applications” will receive $875,524 from the Office of Basic Energy Sciences and the Department of Energy’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research. The project began on July 1, 2024 and will conclude on June 30, 2029.
About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. For more information about the university, visit www.ou.edu.
Five current and former students from the University of Oklahoma have received prestigious fellowships, in recognition of their exceptional potential for STEM leadership.
Although often considered a disease of the past, leprosy remains a global health issue, causing preventable disability due to delayed diagnosis and gaps in care. In a paper published in The Lancet, a professor of infectious diseases from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine calls for stronger awareness, earlier detection and improved long-term management.
The University of Oklahoma Honors College hosted its 38th annual Undergraduate Research Day on April 16 in the Thurman J. White Forum Building. Over 300 people attended, and 175 students presented their posters and projects to visitors, faculty members, judges and peers.
