The fifth annual Quantum Science Center, or QSC, Summer School at Purdue University, held Apr. 21 through Apr. 25, 2025, welcomed its largest group of students to date. Experts from industry, academia and national laboratories gathered at the Purdue Quantum Science and Engineering Institute, or PQSEI, to share their research in multiple areas of quantum science.
New to the school this year was a half-day of introductory presentations hosted by graduate students and doctoral candidates on quantum materials, devices and algorithms.
"This session was important because it gave the students attending the summer school a 'softer' introduction into these topics," said Olivia Liebman, UCLA doctoral candidate and summer school organizer and presenter. "The remainder of the summer school program is focused on much more technical talks."
This informal session was organized based on feedback from the QSC Postdoctoral and Graduate Student Association, or PGA, and past QSC summer school students to make the material covered throughout the week more effective for a broader range of students.
"The low-pressure environment of the pre-conference session allowed them to ask questions and interact with the instructors," said David Stewart, executive director of the PQSEI and chair of the QSC Summer School.
Welcoming the full roster of attendees to the official start of summer school, Alexandra Boltasseva, the Ron and Dotty Garvin Tonjes Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue University and QSC workforce development lead, emphasized the importance of making connections.
"This event is yours," Boltasseva said. "Use this opportunity to connect with researchers and professors, with scientists and engineers from industry and national labs, but also connect with your peers. It's a time to learn, network and make connections that can last a lifetime."
Travis Humble, director of the Quantum Science Center at ORNL, echoed Boltasseva's remarks and went on to explain how the summer school students can play a key role in quantum technology. Humble said, "The most important thing is that you all - as a generation of scientists - are the first generation to have the attention and support necessary to create a next generation of quantum science and technology. What we need are people, like you, who are exposed to and motivated by the fundamental ideas of quantum science to pioneer new approaches, new applications and new domains that we haven't even thought of, yet."
The event then kicked into full swing with three and a half days of lectures and panel discussions covering topics such as entangled networks, simulating superconducting qubits and quantum computing.
This year's lecturers were affiliated with Classiq, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Harvard University, IBM, Infleqtion, J.P. Morgan Chase, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Microsoft Quantum Lab West Lafayette, the Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen, Northwestern University, NVIDIA, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Purdue, PsiQuantum and University of Washington.
"The presentations provide a unique perspective and give a glimpse into the quantum industry, which helps our students obtain broader experience," said Stewart. "Our aim is to align the presentation topics with the research thrusts of the QSC."
What we need are people, like you, who are exposed to and motivated by the fundamental ideas of quantum science to pioneer new approaches, new applications and new domains that we haven't even thought of, yet.
Those thrusts include quantum materials discovery and development, quantum algorithms and simulation, and quantum devices and sensors for discovery science.
Two poster sessions were held during the summer school where graduate students presented their current research. The submissions were evaluated by Humble and several Purdue University faculty members. The top three posters, authored by Hebah Goderya from Purdue University, Zikang Jia from Michigan University and Artem Kryvobok from Purdue University, were recognized at the event's closing dinner.
In addition to the in-person sessions, many of the summer school's events were available virtually on Purdue's Quantum Coffeehouse Live Stream on YouTube.
"The quantum workforce is shorthanded at the moment with the industry growing rapidly," said Stewart. "We stream the sessions to increase the impact of the school. We have limited space, so the YouTube channel helps reach quantum learners across the country and the world."
Events like these demonstrate the vital role national laboratories and their partnerships play in advancing U.S. innovation and workforce development. Now in year five, the QSC looks forward to seeing long-term impact from the summer school.
"Seeing the results of workforce development effort of any kind takes time," said Humble. "But seeing the summer school gain traction and grow in attendance is proof to me that we're on the right track."
The QSC, a DOE National Quantum Information Science Research Center led by ORNL, performs cutting-edge research at national laboratories, universities, and industry partners to overcome key roadblocks in quantum state resilience, controllability, and ultimately the scalability of quantum technologies. QSC researchers are designing materials that enable topological quantum computing; implementing new quantum sensors to characterize topological states and detect dark matter; and designing quantum algorithms and simulations to provide a greater understanding of quantum materials, chemistry, and quantum field theories. These innovations enable the QSC to accelerate information processing, explore the previously unmeasurable, and better predict quantum performance across technologies. For more information, visit qscience.org .
UT-Battelle manages Oak Ridge National Laboratory for DOE's Office of Science, the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. DOE's Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit https://energy.gov/science .
