The Louisiana Quantum Initiative is the statewide endeavor to advance the research and technology of quantum systems,
particularly toward evolving the second quantum revolution, developing the strategy
and technological infrastructure of quantum-driven networks and devices. The constellation
of scientists in the initiative comprises researchers from all over the state, from
both public and private institutions. The Initiative is an ecosystem of research,
relying on emergent, dynamic associations and efforts among institutions and members.
As a central hub, this site seeks to connect the members and their institutions to
support and accelerate Louisiana’s quantum research efforts.
Quantum Information Technology (computation, communication, cryptography...)
Quantum Information Technology comprises the fields associated with computation, communication, and cryptography derived from quantum information and dynamics, as well as the attendant theoretical, mathematical, computer science, and engineering approaches to developing the technologies that make those fields possible.
Louisiana State University Researchers
Seung-Jong (Jay) Park, professor of computer science and faculty member at the LSU Center for Computation
& Technology (PhD, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2004), is researching big data
and deep learning using high-speed networking and high-performance computing for large-scale
data analysis.
Lu Peng, Gerard L. “Jerry” Rispone Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD,
University of Florida, 2005), is researching GPUs, quantum computer architecture,
deep learning hardware accelerators, and application-specific processor design.
Jagannathan “Ram” Ramanujam, John E. and Beatrice L. Ritter Distinguished Professor in the Division of Electrical
and Computer Engineering and Floating Point Systems Endowed Chair in Computational
Methods and director of the LSU Center for Computation & Technology (PhD, The Ohio
State University, 1990), is researching computation- and data-enabled science and
engineering, high-performance computing and machine learning, and quantum computing.
Ravi Rau, alumni professor of physics and astronomy (PhD, University of Chicago, 1970), is
researching entanglement and other correlations such as quantum discord, their evolution
under dissipative and decoherent processes and how they may be controlled, geometrical
and symmetry studies of operators and states of N qubits and connections betweem the
Lie and clifford algebras involved with topics in projective geometry and design theory.
Mark M. Wilde, associate professor of physics and astronomy (PhD, University of Southern California,
2008), is researching quantum information and communication theory, quantum optical
communication, entanglement theory, quantum error correction, and quantum computational
complexity theory. He is the author of Quantum Information Theory (Second Edition, Cambridge University Press, 2017).
Louisiana Tech University Researchers
Jinyuan Chen, assistant professor of electrical engineering (PhD, Télécom ParisTech, France, 2014),
is researching information theory, communication theory, security and privacy, blockchain,
distributed computing, and machine learning.
Weizhong Dai, professor of Mathematics (PhD, University of Iowa, 1994), is researching body linear
and nonlinear Schrödinger equations and the Korteweg-De Vries equation as wide neural
networks.
Tulane University Researchers
Lev Kaplan, professor of physics and department chair (PhD, Harvard University, 1996), investigates
quantum computation, quantum communication, quantum encoding, and quantum metrology
to use multi-photon states to perform information processing tasks.
Michael W. Mislove, Pendergraft Herbert Buchanan Professor of Mathematics and professor of computer
science (PhD, University of Tennessee, 1969), researches topological algebra, domain
theory, ordered structures, category theory, and non-well-founded set theory, as well
as semantics of high-level programming languages, concurrency theory, process algebra,
and probabilistic models.
Grambling State University Researchers
Yenumula B. Reddy, professor of computer science (PhD, Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, India,
1978), is researching cognitive radios and sensor networks, as well as applications
of game models, neural networks, and genetic algorithms to wireless networks.
University of New Orleans Researchers
Peter Bierhorst, assistant professor of mathematics (PhD, Tulane University, 2014), is researching
the mathematical structures of quantum entanglement and nonlocality, with a focus
on applications in quantum information theory.
Md Tamjidul Hoque, associate professor of computer science (PhD, Monash University, Australia, 2008),
is researching machine learning, bioinformatics, optimization, and quantum computing.
Quantum Manipulation and Dynamics (photonics, spintronics, nanomechanics...)
The investigation into the properties and processes of quantum systems includes a wide array of goals, techniques, and frameworks to fill out our understanding of properties at very small and very fast scales. Quantum Manipulation and Dynamics thus contains a variety of approaches and concerns, including the manipulation and engineering of light and its interaction with matter; transport processes; and research into quantum thermodynamics.
Louisiana State University Researchers
Louis H. Haber, associate professor of chemistry (PhD, University of California, Berkeley, 2009),
is researching chemical, structural, electronic, and photophysical dynamics at nanomaterial
interfaces using ultrafast and nonlinear optical spectroscopy techniques, such as
second harmonic generation, transient absorption, and pump-probe reflectivity.
Robert Lipton, Nicholson Professor of Mathematics (PhD, Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences,
1986), is researching multi-scale materials systems and wave phenomena generated by
the interaction of light with matter.
Omar Magaña-Loaiza, assistant professor of physics and astronomy (PhD, University of Rochester, 2016),
is researching the fundamental and applied aspects of optical physics and quantum
optics, exploring novel properties of light and its potential for developing quantum
technologies.
Kenneth Lopata, associate professor of chemistry (PhD, University of California, Los Angeles, 2010),
is researching first-principles simulations of attosecond electron dynamics in molecules
and materials, as well as time-resolved ultraviolet/visible and X-ray absorption spectroscopies.
Ilya Vekhter, professor of physics and astronomy (PhD, Brown University, 1998), is researching
ordering phenomena in strongly correlated systems, especially magnetism and unconventional
superconductivity, as well as interfaces of topological and other spin-orbit coupled
materials.
Louisiana Tech University Researchers
Pedro A. Derosa, professor of physics (PhD, National University of Córdoba, Argentina, 1997), is
researching electronic structure and transport in molecular and nano-sized systems
using DFT, Green Functions, and Monte Carlo Modeling.
Dentcho A. Genov, associate professor of physics and electrical engineering (PhD, Purdue University,
2005), is working on electromagnetic theory and applications, including quantum optics
and photonics, plasmonics, quantum size effects of nanoparticles and structures, and
more.
Arden Moore, assistant professor of mechanical engineering (PhD, University of Texas at Austin,
2010), is researching microdevices for studying multiscale energy transport (electrical
and thermal), phonon physics, 2D materials, nanostructures, phase change processes,
and sensor development.
Tulane University Researchers
Denys Bondar, assistant professor of physics (PhD, University of Waterloo, Canada, 2011), is working
on theoretical and computational research at the boundary of quantum thermodynamics
and ultrafast nonlinear optics; quantum technology and nonlinear optical properties;
and nonlinear optical effects in quantum information processing tasks.
Matthew Escarra, assistant professor of engineering physics (PhD, Princeton University, 2011), is
studying nanophotonic manipulation of light in sub-wavelength structures, with a focus
on low-loss (dielectric) and tunable (phase change) materials, as well as the large-scale
synthesis and device development of two-dimensional materials for optoelectronics.
Ryan T. Glasser, assistant professor of physics (PhD, Louisiana State University, 2009), uses nonlinear
optical phenomena to investigate and discover novel configurations of multi-party
quantum states and is developing machine learning techniques to increase the robustness
of quantum communications and networking schemes.
Loyola University New Orleans Researchers
Martin McHugh, chair of the physics department (PhD, University of Colorado at Boulder), has recently
been working on quantum optics experiments with a number of undergraduate student
collaborators, such as tests of Bell’s theorem using polarization-entangled states.
Armin Kargol, Rev. James C. Carter, S.J, Distinguished Professor in Experimental Physics (PhD,
Virginia Tech, 1994), is researching membrane transport, including experimental and
modeling studies of ion channel gating in cell membranes, and quantum effects in photosynthesizing
processes.
University of Louisiana Lafayette Researchers
Gabriele Morra, associate professor of physics and geosciences (PhD, ETH Zurich, Switzerland, 2004),
is researching computational physics and machine learning applied to planetary science,
most recently investigating how material properties at extremely high temperature
and pressure control the initial stages of planetary formation.
Quantum Materials (fabrication, electronic or magnetic properties, structure...)
Quantum Materials refers to the areas of condensed-matter physics that explores the electromagnetic properties of materials—particularly stemming from electronic correlations, topological order, and high temperatures—as well as their design and synthesis. Unlike traditional investigations of materials, the physics and engineering of quantum materials arise from dynamic properties of materials (such as how electrons behave in relationships), rather than from static properties (such as hardness).
Louisiana State University Researchers
Theda Daniels-Race, professor of electrical and computer engineering with a joint appointment at the
LSU Center for Computation & Technology, and an M.B. Voorhies Distinguished Professor
(PhD, Cornell University, 1990), is researching nanoscale electronic materials and
structures and their quantum electro-optical phenomena.
John DiTusa, professor of physics and astronomy and department chair (PhD, Cornell, 1992), is
researching the consequences of chiral and non-centrosymmetric crystal structures
on the electronic, magnetic, and phononic properties of materials, as well as their
couplings.
Rongying Jin, professor of physics and astronomy (PhD, ETH Zurich, Switzerland, 1997), is researching
novel quantum materials with profound quantum phenomena, such as topological insulators/semimetals/superconductors
and quantum magnets.
Revati Kumar, assistant professor of chemistry and faculty member at the LSU Center for Computation
& Technology (PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison, year TBA), is... TBA.
Richard L. Kurtz, professor of physics and astronomy and director of CAMD (PhD, Yale University, 1983),
is researching oxide and thin-film surfaces using synchrotron radiation, including
Fermi surfaces, showing that both initial and final states in the photoemission process
contribute to the measured k-space contours.
Kevin McPeak, professor of chemical engineering and director of the Nanofabrication Facility (PhD,
Drexel University, 2010), is researching photocatalysis, plasmonic materials, nanofabrication,
and nanoscale chirality.
Juana Moreno, associate professor of physics and astronomy (PhD, Rutgers University, 1997), is
researching computational tools, such as the dynamical mean-field theory, the dynamical
cluster approximation, and quantum Monte Carlo solvers, to simulate quantum materials
quantitatively using parameters extracted from first principles calculations.
Daniel Sheehy, associate professor of physics and astronomy (PhD, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,
2001), is researching superfluid phases of cold atomic gases, the electronic properties
of graphene, and topological phases of matter.
William A. Shelton, professor of chemical engineering and faculty member at the LSU Center for Computation
& Technology (PhD, University of Cincinnati, 1989), is researching computational condensed
matter and high-performance computing, including shared memory, distributed memory,
and hybrid distributed memory parallel computing.
Phillip Sprunger, professor of physics and astronomy and scientific director of the LSU Center for
Advanced Microstructures and Devices (PhD, University of Pennsylvania, 1993), is researching
surface electronic/vibrational/structural properties of model catalytic and environmental
chemistry systems.
Georgios Veronis, associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science and Rubicon Professor
(PhD, Stanford University, 2002), is researching theory and simulation of photonic
materials and devices, nanoscale photonic devices, plasmonics, and computational electromagnetics.
Wanjun Wang, Jack Holmes Professor of Mechanical Engineering (PhD, University of Texas at Austin,
1989), is researching lithography technologies, micro- and nano-fabrication, micro-optical
and microfluidic systems, sensors and technologies, and additive manufacturing.
David Young, professor of physics and astronomy and Webster Parish Alumni Professor (PhD, Florida
State University, 1998), is researching synthesis and characterization of intermetallic
strongly correlated electron materials, as well as single crystal growth and noncentrosymmetric
and topological materials, magnetism, superconductivity, and thermoelectrics.
Jiandi Zhang, professor of physics and astronomy (PhD, Syracuse University, 1994), is researching
novel properties of complex materials like transition-metal oxides by the effects
of broken symmetry, reduced dimensionality, and spatial confinement, and by controlling
lattice strain and chemical composition.
Louisiana Tech University Researchers
Mark A. DeCoster, associate director of the Center for Biomedical Engineering and Rehabilitation Science
(PhD, Medical College of Virginia/VCU, 1989), studies self-assembly of nanomaterials
in biological environments; characterization and utilization of nano- and micro-scale
high-aspect-ratio structures (HARS); and microscopy and image analysis of nano- and
micro-scale materials, among other areas.
Yuri Lvov, professor of chemistry (PhD, Moscow State University, 1979), is researching nano-
and micro-fabrication; nano-architectural material production; electrostatic layer-by-layer
nanoparticle self-assembly; ceramic nanotubes; metal-ceramic core-shell nanotube systems;
encapsulated quantum dots; and organic-inorganic nanocomposites.
Adarsh D. Radadia, F.E. Hogan Family Professor of Chemical Engineering (PhD, University of Illinois
at Urbana-Champaign, 2009), is researching micro-and nano-fabrication of diamond,
graphene, and hexagonal boron nitride devices using conventional lithography, reactive
ion etching, and atomic force microscopy tip-based lithography.
Ramu Ramachandran, professor of chemistry (PhD, Kansas State University, 1987), is researching DFT
calculations on bulk materials and surfaces (metal/ceramic interfaces, oxidation of
metals and alloys); structure and spin states of nanoparticles of metals, metal oxides,
and bimetallic nanoparticles; and molecular systems.
Shabnam Siddiqui, research assistant professor (PhD, University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, 2006),
is looking at the development of mathematical and computational models for studying
electrical and chemical properties of nanomaterials enabled electrodes for applications
in biological, neuro-chemical sensing and energy storage. She is the author of Quantum Mechanics: A Simplified Approach.
Tulane University Researchers
Jianwei Sun, assistant professor of physics (PhD, Tulane University, 2010), is studying quantum
materials such as cuprates, iron-based superconductors, topological materials, and
magnetic materials, with particular interest in couplings between charge, spin, orbital,
and lattice degrees of freedom of quantum materials and computational materials.
Diyar Talbayev, associate professor of physics (PhD, Stony Brook University, 2004), is using time-resolved
spectroscopy to study optical and electronic properties of quantum materials, including
those with strong electronic correlations and non-trivial topologies of electronic
bands.
Jiang Wei, associate professor of physics (PhD, University of Washington at Seattle, 2010),
is researching the design and fabrication of nanostructures and electrical and optical
properties of low-dimensional quantum materials and devices, and developing device
fabrication and characterization methods for qubits and sensors based on topological
materials.
Southern University Researchers
Diola Bagayoko, professor of physics and dean of the Honors College (PhD, Louisiana State University,
1983), is researching first-principle quantum computations for the electronic and
related properties of solids and clusters.
Yaser Banadaki, assistant professor of computer science (PhD, Louisiana State University, 2016),
is researching computational modeling and experimental validation of novel materials
and nanostructures for information technology and sensor devices, and material knowledge
discovery techniques using machine learning algorithms.
Feng Gao, assistant professor of physics (PhD, Shandong University, 2011), is researching
magnetism and magnetic materials, and nanomaterials as catalysts for fuel cells.
Shizhong Yang, associate professor of computer science (PhD, University of Missouri-Kansas City,
2006) is researching nano-material dislocation dynamics and strength under high pressure;
electronic structure and properties of superconductors; computational materials design
of multicomponent alloys; and coating in extreme environments.
Grambling State University Researchers
Naidu V. Seetala, Edward Bouchet Endowed Professor of Physics (PhD, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics,
Calcutta, India, year TBA), is researching ultra-high-temperature ceramic nanocomposites,
polymer composites, nanocatalysts, nanoporosity using positron annihilation lifetime
spectroscopy, and magnetic nanoparticles for storage media applications.
Haeyeon Yang, assistant professor of physics (PhD, Brown University, 1996), is researching optical
properties, including photoluminescence, of quantum dots and wires that are fabricated
by epitaxial, colloidal, and laser interferential techniques. His recent work includes
the study of laser interaction with materials for the fabrication of novel nanomaterials.
University of Louisiana Lafayette Researchers
Michalis Charilaou, assistant professor of physics (PhD, ETH Zurich, Switzerland, 2012), is researching
computational modeling of magnetic materials and nanostructures to elucidate the occurrence
of complex magnetization textures with non-trivial topology, such as skyrmions and
emergent monopoles.
Quantum Metrology and Detection (interferometry, spectroscopy, correlations...)
Quantum Metrology and Detection describes those areas of research devoted to improving the theory and practice of the measurement and detection of particles and their interactions, as well as related phenomena.
Louisiana State University Researchers
Thomas Corbitt, associate professor of physics and astronomy (PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
2008), is researching quantum sensing for gravitational wave detection.
Hwang Lee, associate professor of physics and astronomy (PhD, Texas A&M University, 1998),
is researching the generation of non-classical states of radiation fields and their
applications in precision measurements, quantum computing, and communication.
Louisiana Tech University Researchers
Kristopher Harris, assistant professor of chemistry (PhD, University of Alberta, 2009), is focused
on solid-state NMR spectroscopy (including quantum theory of spin angular momentum
for nuclei and applications of NMR spectroscopy to 2D materials, etc.) and computational
methods (e.g., relating properties to electronic wavefunctions).
H. Lee Sawyer, Charles and Newellyn Spruell Distinguished Professor of Physics (PhD, Florida State
University, 1991), researches calorimetry of particles; searches for new particles
(particularly supersymmetric); measures the properties of jet physics and the strong
nuclear force; and works on the design and simulation of particle detectors.
Neven Simicevic, professor of physics (PhD, University of Zagreb, Croatia, 1990), is researching
computational and numerical methods in quantum mechanics, theoretical nuclear physics,
experimental techniques in nuclear and particle physics, research of Hadron structure
and hypernuclear physics, and simulation and theoretical interpretation of nuclear
reactions.
Tulane University Researchers
Fred Wietfeldt, professor of physics (PhD, University of California, Berkeley, 1994), is focused
on two areas of neutron physics: free neutron decay and neutron interferometry, making
high precision measurements of neutron scattering lengths and neutron interactions
with matter.
Quantum Research News
LSU Ph.D. Graduate Sumeet Khatri Co-authors Textbook on Quantum Communication with LSU Professor
As a professor, it’s a rare thing to write one of the definitive textbooks on the subject you teach. And as a student who has not yet graduated, it’s almost unheard of. Yet, Ph.D. graduate Sumeet Khatri and his advisor, Professor Mark M. Wilde in the LSU Department of Physics & Astronomy with a joint appointment in the LSU Center for Computation & Technology, have pulled it off. Principles of Quantum Communication Theory: A Modern Approach is now out in pre-release and already being used by scholars around the world.
LSU Smart Quantum Technologies Make Cover of Advanced Quantum Technologies Magazine
Researchers from Louisiana State University have introduced a smart quantum technology for the spatial mode correction of single photons. In a paper featured on the cover of the March 2021 issue of Advanced Quantum Technologies, the authors exploit the self-learning and self-evolving features of artificial neural networks.
Mark Wilde Chosen as APS Physical Review Journal Outstanding Referee
Associate Professor Mark M. Wilde is among the 151 Outstanding Referees of the Physical Review journals for 2021, as chosen by the journal editors.
Designing the Best Possible Solar Cell, by MacGyvering a Bit of Quantum Supremacy
LSU physicists and material scientists are building a quantum simulator with a gold chip to discover better materials for solar cells. Ideal materials must introduce some amount of mayhem, the researchers say, to get more light to go through. This story was also covered by the LSU student magazine, Reveille.
Healing an Achilles’ Heel of Quantum Entanglement
LSU Associate Professor of Physics Mark M. Wilde and his collaborator have solved a 20-year-old problem in quantum information theory on how to calculate entanglement cost—a way to measure entanglement—in a manner that’s efficiently computable, useful, and broadly applicable in several quantum research areas.
LSU Mourns the Passing of Internationally Renowned Professor E. Ward Plummer
LSU Boyd Professor of Physics and National Academy of Science member Ward Plummer passed away on July 23, 2020. He was a leading scientist in materials physics with a focus on electronic behaviors at surfaces and low dimensionality. “Ward Plummer was relentless in his push to drive LSU research forward,” LSU Vice President of Research & Economic Development Samuel J. Bentley said. “I will miss his grouchy notes reminding me that my job was not yet done.”
LSU Mourns the Loss of World-Renowned Professor Jonathan P. Dowling
Professor and Hearne Chair of Theoretical Physics Jonathan P. Dowling passed away on June 5th, 2020, after a brief illness. Dowling was known was for his playful style and witticisms in his lectures and seminars. He called Shor’s factoring algorithm “a large, dry, stale, and weighty fruitcake ... delightfully iced with a bit of light and fluffy quantum frosting,” memorialized in a recent cartoon.
Identifying Light Sources Using Artificial Intelligence
In Applied Physics Reviews, LSU researchers demonstrate a smart quantum technology that enables a dramatic reduction in the number of measurements required to identify light sources—for example, differentiating between sunlight and laser light, which plays an important role in remote sensing and has been a major hurdle for any realistic implementation of quantum photonic technologies.
By Leaps and Bounds: PhD Student Positions LSU as a Leading Contributor to Research on Quantum Key Distribution
Eneet Kaur is a doctoral student and rising star in quantum information science at LSU. She recently presented her work on quantum key distribution, a method to secure communications based on the physical principles of quantum mechanics, as an invited talk at the QCrypt conference in Montreal, Canada.
LSU Research — “Quantum Realm”
If you’ve seen any of the recent movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you’ve probably spent at least a brief moment pondering the word “quantum.” Like a lot of scientific words used in movies, quantum sounds important, difficult, and powerful. And it gets thrown around a lot to explain difficult plot necessities. As Scott Lang says in Ant-Man and The Wasp, “Do you guys just put the word quantum in front of everything?”
LSU Physicist Awarded Prestigious 2019 Emil Wolf Award
As the first researcher ever from Louisiana, Chenglong You, a postdoctoral researcher in the LSU Department of Physics & Astronomy, was recently named as a recipient of the 2019 Emil Wolf Outstanding Student Paper Competition. You’s paper, titled “Multiphoton quantum metrology without pre- and post-selected measurements,” features his research in demonstrating the first protocol for quantum-enhanced phase estimation without conditional measurements.
Light in a New Light: Creating Different Kinds of Light with Manipulable Quantum Properties
Omar Magaña-Loaiza, assistant professor in the LSU Department of Physics & Astronomy, and his team of researchers describe a noteworthy step forward in the quantum manipulation and control of light, which has far-reaching quantum technology applications in imaging, simulation, metrology, computation, communication, and cryptography, among other areas.
What Google's Quantum Supremacy Claim Means for Quantum Computing
“There are many in the classical computer community, who don't understand quantum theory, who have claimed that quantum computers are not more powerful than classical computers,” says Jonathan Dowling, a professor in theoretical physics and member of the Quantum Science and Technologies Group at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. “This experiment pokes a stick into their eyes.”
Quantum Buzz (No Bee)
It’s not a quilting bee. QuILT stands for Quantum Information Technologies in Louisiana, and QuILT Days are a series of events organized by Mark Wilde of the LSU Department of Physics & Astronomy and the Center for Computation & Technology, Ryan Glasser of Tulane University, and Peter Bierhorst of University of New Orleans. Joined by researchers from around Louisiana for a day of quantum information science and related presentations, their goal is to foster future collaborations and expand the state’s overall research effort.
LSU at the White House Meeting on Quantum Information Science
“The White House meeting on quantum information science was a great opportunity for LSU to help shape the future of an exciting, rapidly growing, and strategically important field,” said Samuel J. Bentley, Vice President of Research & Economic Development.
The Quantum Random Number Generator
The random numbers made at NIST’s Boulder labs in 2018 come from the inherent indeterminacy of the quantum world. The scientist leading the project, Peter Bierhorst (now at the University of New Orleans), made these numbers by applying the quantum effect called entanglement to photons. Here’s why that matters.
Hello, Quantum Vacuum, Nice to See You
Thomas Corbitt, associate professor in the LSU Department of Physics & Astronomy, and his team of researchers measure quantum behavior at room temperature, visible to the naked eye, as reported today in the journal Nature.
LSU Gears Up for Quantum Race
When China launched the world’s first quantum science satellite in August of 2016, Jonathan Dowling, LSU professor and Hearne Chair of Theoretical Physics at the Department of Physics and Astronomy, called it a “Sputnik moment.” Now scholars from across the U.S. will gather on LSU campus for a two-day workshop about quantum research.
Tulane Awarded $3.67 Million Grant for Quantum Computing
Tulane University professor Michael Mislove has received a $3.67 million grant from the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research to help develop cutting-edge technology related to quantum computing.
Quantum Research: Watch & Listen
LSU's Jonathan Dowling and other researchers explain the race to build a quantum computer, on BBC.
LSU's Jonathan Dowling discusses quantum sensing and communications at a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine colloquium.
Thomas Corbitt, associate professor of physics and astronomy (PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
2008), is researching quantum sensing for gravitational wave detection.
Theda Daniels-Race, professor of electrical and computer engineering with a joint appointment at the
LSU Center for Computation & Technology, and an M.B. Voorhies Distinguished Professor
(PhD, Cornell University, 1990), is researching nanoscale electronic materials and
structures and their quantum electro-optical phenomena.
John DiTusa, professor of physics and astronomy and department chair (PhD, Cornell, 1992), is
researching the consequences of chiral and non-centrosymmetric crystal structures
on the electronic, magnetic, and phononic properties of materials, as well as their
couplings.
Louis H. Haber, associate professor of chemistry (PhD, University of California, Berkeley, 2009),
is researching chemical, structural, electronic, and photophysical dynamics at nanomaterial
interfaces using ultrafast and nonlinear optical spectroscopy techniques, such as
second harmonic generation, transient absorption, and pump-probe reflectivity.
Rongying Jin, professor of physics and astronomy (PhD, ETH Zurich, Switzerland, 1997), is researching
novel quantum materials with profound quantum phenomena, such as topological insulators/semimetals/superconductors
and quantum magnets.
Revati Kumar, assistant professor of chemistry and faculty member at the LSU Center for Computation
& Technology (PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison, year TBA), is... TBA.
Richard L. Kurtz, professor of physics and astronomy and director of CAMD (PhD, Yale University, 1983),
is researching oxide and thin-film surfaces using synchrotron radiation, including
Fermi surfaces, showing that both initial and final states in the photoemission process
contribute to the measured k-space contours.
Hwang Lee, associate professor of physics and astronomy (PhD, Texas A&M University, 1998),
is researching the generation of non-classical states of radiation fields and their
applications in precision measurements, quantum computing, and communication.
Robert Lipton, Nicholson Professor of Mathematics (PhD, Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences,
1986), is researching multi-scale materials systems and wave phenomena generated by
the interaction of light with matter.
Kenneth Lopata, associate professor of chemistry (PhD, University of California, Los Angeles, 2010),
is researching first-principles simulations of attosecond electron dynamics in molecules
and materials, as well as time-resolved ultraviolet/visible and X-ray absorption spectroscopies.
Omar Magaña-Loaiza, assistant professor of physics and astronomy (PhD, University of Rochester, 2016),
is researching the fundamental and applied aspects of optical physics and quantum
optics, exploring novel properties of light and its potential for developing quantum
technologies.
Kevin McPeak, professor of chemical engineering and director of the Nanofabrication Facility (PhD,
Drexel University, 2010), is researching photocatalysis, plasmonic materials, nanofabrication,
and nanoscale chirality.
Juana Moreno, associate professor of physics and astronomy (PhD, Rutgers University, 1997), is
researching computational tools, such as the dynamical mean-field theory, the dynamical
cluster approximation, and quantum Monte Carlo solvers, to simulate quantum materials
quantitatively using parameters extracted from first principles calculations.
Seung-Jong (Jay) Park, professor of computer science and faculty member at the LSU Center for Computation
& Technology (PhD, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2004), is researching big data
and deep learning using high-speed networking and high-performance computing for large-scale
data analysis.
Lu Peng, Gerard L. “Jerry” Rispone Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD,
University of Florida, 2005), is researching GPUs, quantum computer architecture,
deep learning hardware accelerators, and application-specific processor design.
Jagannathan “Ram” Ramanujam, John E. and Beatrice L. Ritter Distinguished Professor in the Division of Electrical
and Computer Engineering and Floating Point Systems Endowed Chair in Computational
Methods and director of the LSU Center for Computation & Technology (PhD, The Ohio
State University, 1990), is researching computation- and data-enabled science and
engineering, high-performance computing and machine learning, and quantum computing.
Ravi Rau, alumni professor of physics and astronomy (PhD, University of Chicago, 1970), is
researching entanglement and other correlations such as quantum discord, their evolution
under dissipative and decoherent processes and how they may be controlled, geometrical
and symmetry studies of operators and states of N qubits and connections betweem the
Lie and clifford algebras involved with topics in projective geometry and design theory.
Daniel Sheehy, associate professor of physics and astronomy (PhD, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,
2001), is researching superfluid phases of cold atomic gases, the electronic properties
of graphene, and topological phases of matter.
William A. Shelton, professor of chemical engineering and faculty member at the LSU Center for Computation
& Technology (PhD, University of Cincinnati, 1989), is researching computational condensed
matter and high-performance computing, including shared memory, distributed memory,
and hybrid distributed memory parallel computing.
Phillip Sprunger, professor of physics and astronomy and scientific director of the LSU Center for
Advanced Microstructures and Devices (PhD, University of Pennsylvania, 1993), is researching
surface electronic/vibrational/structural properties of model catalytic and environmental
chemistry systems.
Ilya Vekhter, professor of physics and astronomy (PhD, Brown University, 1998), is researching
ordering phenomena in strongly correlated systems, especially magnetism and unconventional
superconductivity, as well as interfaces of topological and other spin-orbit coupled
materials.
Georgios Veronis, associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science and Rubicon Professor
(PhD, Stanford University, 2002), is researching theory and simulation of photonic
materials and devices, nanoscale photonic devices, plasmonics, and computational electromagnetics.
Wanjun Wang, Jack Holmes Professor of Mechanical Engineering (PhD, University of Texas at Austin,
1989), is researching lithography technologies, micro- and nano-fabrication, micro-optical
and microfluidic systems, sensors and technologies, and additive manufacturing.
Mark M. Wilde, associate professor of physics and astronomy (PhD, University of Southern California,
2008), is researching quantum information and communication theory, quantum optical
communication, entanglement theory, quantum error correction, and quantum computational
complexity theory. He is the author of Quantum Information Theory (Second Edition, Cambridge University Press, 2017).
David Young, professor of physics and astronomy and Webster Parish Alumni Professor (PhD, Florida
State University, 1998), is researching synthesis and characterization of intermetallic
strongly correlated electron materials, as well as single crystal growth and noncentrosymmetric
and topological materials, magnetism, superconductivity, and thermoelectrics.
Jiandi Zhang, professor of physics and astronomy (PhD, Syracuse University, 1994), is researching
novel properties of complex materials like transition-metal oxides by the effects
of broken symmetry, reduced dimensionality, and spatial confinement, and by controlling
lattice strain and chemical composition.
Jinyuan Chen, assistant professor of electrical engineering (PhD, Télécom ParisTech, France, 2014),
is researching information theory, communication theory, security and privacy, blockchain,
distributed computing, and machine learning.
Weizhong Dai, professor of Mathematics (PhD, University of Iowa, 1994), is researching body linear
and nonlinear Schrödinger equations and the Korteweg-De Vries equation as wide neural
networks.
Mark A. DeCoster, associate director of the Center for Biomedical Engineering and Rehabilitation Science
(PhD, Medical College of Virginia/VCU, 1989), studies self-assembly of nanomaterials
in biological environments; characterization and utilization of nano- and micro-scale
high-aspect-ratio structures (HARS); and microscopy and image analysis of nano- and
micro-scale materials, among other areas.
Pedro A. Derosa, professor of physics (PhD, National University of Córdoba, Argentina, 1997), is
researching electronic structure and transport in molecular and nano-sized systems
using DFT, Green Functions, and Monte Carlo Modeling.
Dentcho A. Genov, associate professor of physics and electrical engineering (PhD, Purdue University,
2005), is working on electromagnetic theory and applications, including quantum optics
and photonics, plasmonics, quantum size effects of nanoparticles and structures, and
more.
Kristopher Harris, assistant professor of chemistry (PhD, University of Alberta, 2009), is focused
on solid-state NMR spectroscopy (including quantum theory of spin angular momentum
for nuclei and applications of NMR spectroscopy to 2D materials, etc.) and computational
methods (e.g., relating properties to electronic wavefunctions).
Yuri Lvov, professor of chemistry (PhD, Moscow State University, 1979), is researching nano-
and micro-fabrication; nano-architectural material production; electrostatic layer-by-layer
nanoparticle self-assembly; ceramic nanotubes; metal-ceramic core-shell nanotube systems;
encapsulated quantum dots; and organic-inorganic nanocomposites.
Arden Moore, assistant professor of mechanical engineering (PhD, University of Texas at Austin,
2010), is researching microdevices for studying multiscale energy transport (electrical
and thermal), phonon physics, 2D materials, nanostructures, phase change processes,
and sensor development.
Adarsh D. Radadia, F.E. Hogan Family Professor of Chemical Engineering (PhD, University of Illinois
at Urbana-Champaign, 2009), is researching micro-and nano-fabrication of diamond,
graphene, and hexagonal boron nitride devices using conventional lithography, reactive
ion etching, and atomic force microscopy tip-based lithography.
Ramu Ramachandran, professor of chemistry (PhD, Kansas State University, 1987), is researching DFT
calculations on bulk materials and surfaces (metal/ceramic interfaces, oxidation of
metals and alloys); structure and spin states of nanoparticles of metals, metal oxides,
and bimetallic nanoparticles; and molecular systems.
H. Lee Sawyer, Charles and Newellyn Spruell Distinguished Professor of Physics (PhD, Florida State
University, 1991), researches calorimetry of particles; searches for new particles
(particularly supersymmetric); measures the properties of jet physics and the strong
nuclear force; and works on the design and simulation of particle detectors.
Shabnam Siddiqui, research assistant professor (PhD, University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, 2006),
is looking at the development of mathematical and computational models for studying
electrical and chemical properties of nanomaterials enabled electrodes for applications
in biological, neuro-chemical sensing and energy storage. She is the author of Quantum Mechanics: A Simplified Approach.
Neven Simicevic, professor of physics (PhD, University of Zagreb, Croatia, 1990), is researching
computational and numerical methods in quantum mechanics, theoretical nuclear physics,
experimental techniques in nuclear and particle physics, research of Hadron structure
and hypernuclear physics, and simulation and theoretical interpretation of nuclear
reactions.
Denys Bondar, assistant professor of physics (PhD, University of Waterloo, Canada, 2011), is working
on theoretical and computational research at the boundary of quantum thermodynamics
and ultrafast nonlinear optics; quantum technology and nonlinear optical properties;
and nonlinear optical effects in quantum information processing tasks.
Matthew Escarra, assistant professor of engineering physics (PhD, Princeton University, 2011), is
studying nanophotonic manipulation of light in sub-wavelength structures, with a focus
on low-loss (dielectric) and tunable (phase change) materials, as well as the large-scale
synthesis and device development of two-dimensional materials for optoelectronics.
Ryan T. Glasser, assistant professor of physics (PhD, Louisiana State University, 2009), uses nonlinear
optical phenomena to investigate and discover novel configurations of multi-party
quantum states and is developing machine learning techniques to increase the robustness
of quantum communications and networking schemes.
Lev Kaplan, professor of physics and department chair (PhD, Harvard University, 1996), investigates
quantum computation, quantum communication, quantum encoding, and quantum metrology
to use multi-photon states to perform information processing tasks.
Michael W. Mislove, Pendergraft Herbert Buchanan Professor of Mathematics and professor of computer
science (PhD, University of Tennessee, 1969), researches topological algebra, domain
theory, ordered structures, category theory, and non-well-founded set theory, as well
as semantics of high-level programming languages, concurrency theory, process algebra,
and probabilistic models.
Jianwei Sun, assistant professor of physics (PhD, Tulane University, 2010), is studying quantum
materials such as cuprates, iron-based superconductors, topological materials, and
magnetic materials, with particular interest in couplings between charge, spin, orbital,
and lattice degrees of freedom of quantum materials and computational materials.
Diyar Talbayev, associate professor of physics (PhD, Stony Brook University, 2004), is using time-resolved
spectroscopy to study optical and electronic properties of quantum materials, including
those with strong electronic correlations and non-trivial topologies of electronic
bands.
Jiang Wei, associate professor of physics (PhD, University of Washington at Seattle, 2010),
is researching the design and fabrication of nanostructures and electrical and optical
properties of low-dimensional quantum materials and devices, and developing device
fabrication and characterization methods for qubits and sensors based on topological
materials.
Fred Wietfeldt, professor of physics (PhD, University of California, Berkeley, 1994), is focused
on two areas of neutron physics: free neutron decay and neutron interferometry, making
high precision measurements of neutron scattering lengths and neutron interactions
with matter.
Diola Bagayoko, professor of physics and dean of the Honors College (PhD, Louisiana State University,
1983), is researching first-principle quantum computations for the electronic and
related properties of solids and clusters.
Yaser Banadaki, assistant professor of computer science (PhD, Louisiana State University, 2016),
is researching computational modeling and experimental validation of novel materials
and nanostructures for information technology and sensor devices, and material knowledge
discovery techniques using machine learning algorithms.
Feng Gao, assistant professor of physics (PhD, Shandong University, 2011), is researching
magnetism and magnetic materials, and nanomaterials as catalysts for fuel cells.
Shizhong Yang, associate professor of computer science (PhD, University of Missouri-Kansas City,
2006) is researching nano-material dislocation dynamics and strength under high pressure;
electronic structure and properties of superconductors; computational materials design
of multicomponent alloys; and coating in extreme environments.
Yenumula B. Reddy, professor of computer science (PhD, Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, India,
1978), is researching cognitive radios and sensor networks, as well as applications
of game models, neural networks, and genetic algorithms to wireless networks.
Naidu V. Seetala, Edward Bouchet Endowed Professor of Physics (PhD, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics,
Calcutta, India, year TBA), is researching ultra-high-temperature ceramic nanocomposites,
polymer composites, nanocatalysts, nanoporosity using positron annihilation lifetime
spectroscopy, and magnetic nanoparticles for storage media applications.
Haeyeon Yang, assistant professor of physics (PhD, Brown University, 1996), is researching optical
properties, including photoluminescence, of quantum dots and wires that are fabricated
by epitaxial, colloidal, and laser interferential techniques. His recent work includes
the study of laser interaction with materials for the fabrication of novel nanomaterials.
Martin McHugh, chair of the physics department (PhD, University of Colorado at Boulder), has recently
been working on quantum optics experiments with a number of undergraduate student
collaborators, such as tests of Bell’s theorem using polarization-entangled states.
Armin Kargol, Rev. James C. Carter, S.J, Distinguished Professor in Experimental Physics (PhD,
Virginia Tech, 1994), is researching membrane transport, including experimental and
modeling studies of ion channel gating in cell membranes, and quantum effects in photosynthesizing
processes.
Peter Bierhorst, assistant professor of mathematics (PhD, Tulane University, 2014), is researching
the mathematical structures of quantum entanglement and nonlocality, with a focus
on applications in quantum information theory.
Md Tamjidul Hoque, associate professor of computer science (PhD, Monash University, Australia, 2008),
is researching machine learning, bioinformatics, optimization, and quantum computing.
Michalis Charilaou, assistant professor of physics (PhD, ETH Zurich, Switzerland, 2012), is researching
computational modeling of magnetic materials and nanostructures to elucidate the occurrence
of complex magnetization textures with non-trivial topology, such as skyrmions and
emergent monopoles.
Gabriele Morra, associate professor of physics and geosciences (PhD, ETH Zurich, Switzerland, 2004),
is researching computational physics and machine learning applied to planetary science,
most recently investigating how material properties at extremely high temperature
and pressure control the initial stages of planetary formation.
2019 Quantum Materials Workshop
Quantum Research Groups
LSU Quantum Science and Technologies Group
Tulane Quantum Device Laboratory
Tulane Quantum Information and Nonlinear Optics Group