Virginia Tech Center for Quantum Information Science and Engineering

Uniting quantum research across disciplines

The expanding field of quantum information science has been heralded as the theoretical foundation that will enable the next generation of innovations in information technology, national security, computing, and other critical areas, and this promise has attracted an influx of federal and private investment. In the U.S., the bipartisan National Quantum Initiative oversees a growing network of national centers and a pool of funding that has ballooned to nearly $1 billion annually from nearly two dozen agencies involved in this space. 

About the center

The Virginia Tech Center for Quantum Information Science and Engineering capitalizes on the university’s longstanding strength in the many disciplines modern quantum research weaves together and Virginia Tech's distinctive culture of interdisciplinary and collaboration. The talent of the esteemed group of researchers who make up the center and the deep dialogue they already share will help bridge the crucial gap in quantum between theory and practice. 

The center framework will strengthen proposals for large federal grants and facilitate new internal collaborations and external partnerships, enhancing Virginia Tech’s capacity to take on the biggest challenges in a field predicted to shape the next decade of science and technology around the globe. 

Center leadership

Director

Sophia Economou, professor of physics and Haflinger senior fellow, College of Science

Executive committee

Edwin Barnes, associate professor of physics, College of Science  

Nicholas Mayhall, associate professor of chemistry, College of Science  

Jamie Sikora, assistant professor of computer science, College of Engineering 

Luke Lester, Department Head and Roanoke Electric Steel Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering

Wayne Scales, J. Byron Maupin Professor of Engineering, College of Engineering 

Randy Heflin, Associate Dean for Research, College of Science

Center faculty 

The faculty members who make up the center are leaders in some of the most active frontiers in modern quantum research, including quantum computing, networks, materials, and cryptography. Spanning six departments across the College of Science and the College of Engineering, they represent a range of expertise and a depth of collaboration that position the center to rapidly advance this increasingly interdisciplinary field.