Geoffrey Ji Wins Goldwater Scholarship

Geoffrey Ji

Geoffrey Ji has been awarded a scholarship by the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation, which encourages students to pursue advanced study and careers in the sciences, engineering and mathematics. He is among the 283 students selected from 1,166 students nominated nationally this year. Ji—who is majoring in physics, mathematics, economics and computer science—has been conducting quantum science research for two years in the laboratory of Chris Monroe, Bice Zorn Professor of Physics.

“Geoffrey has almost single-handedly outfitted advanced digital and analog electronic control circuits, in addition to writing impressive computer code that will soon be adopted by most of our other projects,” said Monroe.

Ji also conducted theoretical nuclear physics research with Paulo Bedaque, associate professor of physics, which resulted in co-authorship of a peer-reviewed publication in the journal Physical Review D. He is a member of the UMD Honors College and plans to pursue a doctoral degree.

 

Physics Receives High Marks in 2015 Graduate School Rankings

Maryland Physics was ranked 14th by U.S. News and World Report's 2015 Best Graduate Schools -- with four specialties in the top 10. Our rankings included:

The plasma specialty ranked 3rd
The atomic/molecular/optical specialty ranked 6th
The quantum specialty ranked 8th
The condensed matter specialty ranked 10th
The cosmology/gravity/relativity specialty ranked 13th

 
The College of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences' full Best Graduate School rankings are available here.

Paglione Appointed CIFAR Associate

Johnpierre Paglione was appointed an Associate for the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR). CIFAR brings together a network of nearly 400 researchers to focus on important questions with the potential to improve human health and the environment, transform technology, build strong societies, understand human culture and even chart the universe.

Professor Paglione will serve as an Associate of the Quantum Materials research program.

For the full list of 2014 research appointments, visit: http://ter.ps/522

Lockheed Martin, UMD Partner to Develop Next Generation Quantum Computer

Patrick O'Shea, Ray Johnson and Mary Ann Rankin sign the memorandum of understanding to establish the Quantum Engineering Center at the University of Maryland. Photo: John Consoli
Patrick O'Shea, Ray Johnson and Mary Ann Rankin sign the memorandum of understanding to establish the Quantum Engineering Center at the University of Maryland. Photo: John Consoli

Lockheed Martin and the University of Maryland are partnering to develop an integrated quantum computing platform that has the potential to enhance fields ranging from drug discovery and communications to logistics.

The parties signed a memorandum of understanding establishing the Quantum Engineering Center at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Lockheed Martin and the University of Maryland are partnering to develop an integrated quantum computing platform that has the potential to enhance fields ranging from drug discovery and communications to logistics."Classical computing can only take us so far," said Dr. Ray O. Johnson, Lockheed Martin senior vice president and chief technology officer. "In the future, critical systems will become so complex that problems will take too long or become too expensive to solve using even our most powerful supercomputers. We believe the next computational revolution will stem from applied quantum science—a discipline that connects physics, information science, and engineering."

Building on more than 60 years of collaboration, Lockheed Martin and the University of Maryland signed a formal strategic framework in 2010 to jointly pursue research and development projects and business opportunities. The Quantum Engineering Center is the most recent opportunity to push the boundaries of scientific discovery and innovation.

"By building on our world-class research expertise, the University of Maryland will transform the study of quantum mechanics into the practice of quantum engineering through this unique partnership with Lockheed Martin," said Dr. Mary Ann Rankin, senior vice president and provost of the University of Maryland, College Park. "Together, we will bring multidisciplinary methods to an area that has the potential to transform the lives of citizens around the globe."

The initial goal of the Quantum Engineering Center is to demonstrate a quantum platform that features reliable, well-characterized operation without requiring a user to have a deep understanding of the internal workings of the system—just like conventional computers work today. To achieve this will require close cooperation between scientists and engineers.

"In the case of quantum components, it's like we're back in 1947 working with the first semiconductor transistors," said Dr. Chris Monroe, Bice Zorn professor of physics at the University of Maryland. "We are talking about unusual systems— specially tuned laser and microwave fields trained with exquisite precision onto individual atoms suspended with electrical fields and immersed in a vacuum chamber a million times less dense than outer space. Each aspect is challenging in its own way, but we understand exactly how every piece works. Our focus now is integrating these systems to consistently and reliably work in harmony, much like engineering a complex aircraft, so that the device is more than just a sum of its parts."