Golden State Today

The University of California, Berkeley, has announced the hiring of four early-career experimental physicists to expand its research in quantum science and technology. The new assistant professors will join the departments of physics, chemistry, and engineering, collaborating with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to advance quantum computing and networking.

Chiara Pancaldo Salemi will use superconducting circuits to search for dark matter particles called axions. Aziza Suleymanzade aims to network quantum computers using entangled photons in optical fibers. Victoria Xu plans to improve gravitational wave detection by squeezing light. Harry Levine will explore new types of qubits using trapped neutral atoms.

Steven Kahn, dean of mathematical and physical sciences at UC Berkeley’s College of Letters and Science, stated, “It’s highly unusual to hire four experimentalists in one year... this is a real statement that Berkeley is committed to the emerging field of quantum information science and technology.” Irfan Siddiqi, professor and chair of physics at UC Berkeley, added, “They bridge traditional fields of physics with more modern notions of quantum information science.”

Quantum mechanics has been a significant area of study for over a century. It explains phenomena such as light behaving as both a wave and a particle simultaneously. Researchers at UC Berkeley have long explored various aspects of quantum properties in materials and atomic interactions.

UC Berkeley is involved in several national initiatives focused on quantum research. These include the NSF-funded Challenge Institute for Quantum Computation and DOE-funded efforts like the Quantum Systems Accelerator and QUANT-NET.

Suleymanzade emphasized the potential advantages of quantum mechanical properties over classical systems: “I think all our dreams revolve around how to get some sort of enhancements from these quantum mechanical properties.”

Salemi will continue her work on detecting axions using superconducting circuits at UC Berkeley starting January 1, 2025. Xu plans to further apply quantum technologies to gravitational wave detection when she joins in January 2025. Levine will focus on controlling individual atoms for qubit research when he arrives in July 2025.

These appointments signify UC Berkeley's commitment to advancing the field of quantum science through innovative research directions.