Illinois Physics | The Grainger College of Engineering | UIUC

Electrical & computer engineering professor Eric Chitambar and physics professor Jacob Covey are bringing their quantum knowhow to InterQnet, a three-year initiative to demonstrate that quantum computers separated by large distances and even based on different hardware architectures can work in tandem. By leveraging their expertise in quantum protocols and neutral-atom quantum computing, respectively, they and their research groups will help solve important problems in the realization of such “distributed quantum computers.”

The University of Texas at Arlington has elected two longtime professors to the Academy of Distinguished Scholars, considered the University’s most prestigious research and scholarship honor.

Ramon Lopez, professor of physics, and Michael D. Nelson, associate professor of kinesiology, are being recognized for their sustained and significant contributions to research and creativity. Ramon Lopez received his bachelor's degree in physics from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1980, before earning a PhD in physics from Rice University in 1985.

The Department of Physics welcomes Professor Pengjie Wang, an experimental condensed matter physicist who brings extensive experience in quantum matter and quantum information science. His research primarily focuses on strongly correlated quantum phenomena and emerging topological quantum physics within two-dimensional (2D) crystals and semiconductors.

Chhabra believes that DNA data storage, a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative to traditional rewritable data storage systems, may be the answer to the growing global demand for data storage. The intricately folded nanostructures of DNA along with the ability to add or remove different proteins and defects make so-called “DNA origami” an ideal medium for storing, reconfiguring and customizing data. She is working in the Aleksei Aksimentiev, Charles Schroeder, and Martin Gruebele labs to develop reconfigurable DNA data storage systems, inspired by Lego blocks.