WVU Physicist Receives NSF CAREER Award for Quantum Materials Research

Insider Brief

• West Virginia University physicist Subhasish Mandal received an NSF CAREER award to develop computational tools for designing and identifying materials with properties suited to future quantum technologies.
• His research will use large-scale simulations to study interactions between electrons and atomic vibrations in layered materials, including properties such as superconductivity and topological quantum states.
• The project also includes free software for quantum materials research and educational programs designed to train students in computational skills relevant to quantum science and related industries.

PRESS RELEASE — With support from a prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER award, West Virginia University physicist Subhasish Mandal is working to supply future quantum technologies with materials that don’t exist yet.

Mandal, an assistant professor in the WVU Eberly College of Arts and Sciences Department of Physics and Astronomy, will develop computer tools for designing the quantum materials that will be required to build quantum computers and other advanced technologies.

Quantum technology could change the way we compute, communicate, and collect information. Regular computers use bits, which are either 0 or 1. Quantum computers use quantum states, which can exist in many possible configurations at the same time. However, building useful quantum technologies can be difficult because quantum states are very fragile and can easily be affected by their surroundings.