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Isaac Kim, assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science, has been named as a 2026 Sloan Research Fellow by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Kim is among 126 new fellows announced today (Feb. 17). Fellows receive a two-year, $75,000 award to further their work.

Kim’s research is in quantum entanglement, a necessary step to developing quantum computers and information systems.

Pranta Saha, a Ph.D. candidate in electrical and computer engineering at the University of California, Davis, is among the recipients of the inaugural Costas John Spanos Semiconductor Manufacturing Awards, presented by the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society and the Banatao Institute, or CITRIS. 

Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Marina Radulaski is among this year’s class of Chancellor’s Fellows at the University of California, Davis. The distinction is given annually to early-career academics who are doing exemplary work in their fields.  

For the uninitiated, quantum mechanics are ostensibly non-physical, existing more in theory than in actuality. The classic quantum thought experiment, Schrödinger’s Cat, underscores this: How can a cat that is simultaneously alive and dead inside a box be anything more than a philosophical plaything?

A lot more. In fact, our world depends on it. Without quantum mechanics, atoms would fall apart, collapsing into nothingness. Without quantum mechanics, we would not have the modern world we have today.

Materials Today has honored Marina Radulaski, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of California, Davis, with a Rising Star Award for her outstanding research and promise for continued leadership in quantum materials and electronics.

UC Davis Quantum Information Science and Technology programs have trained hundreds of students, from high school to postdoctoral stage. We asked a few graduating students to reflect on their QuIST experiences. Here is what they had to say.

Physics Ph.D. graduate now at the University of Cambridge

The College of Engineering has recognized two professors from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering with Outstanding Faculty Awards. Assistant Professor Billy Putnamhas received the Outstanding Faculty Teaching Award and Professor Jeremy Munday has received the Outstanding Mid-Career Faculty Award.

Photons, or particles of light, are like a quantum notepad. With these infinitesimal dots of energy, quantum devices store quantum information.

Color centers are the essential hub for photons in quantum devices. They are the components that emit and maintain photons, functioning as a quantum memory bank. However, they are challenging to fabricate, particularly for the industrial development of quantum technology. 

Assistant Professor of Computer Science Isaac Kim has received the National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development, or NSF CAREER, Award.  

The CAREER Award is offered to early-career faculty who demonstrate the potential to act as academic role models in research and education by performing innovative research at the forefront of their field and through their commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in STEM.   

 "What is a qubit and what is it good for?" was but one of several questions professors from the University of California, Davis, recently posed to 22 California high school students as part of a new, annual workshop on quantum computing. The workshop served as a primer on quantum computing and offered the high schoolers a leg up — or a quantum leap if you will — with tips and best practices for their applications to UC Davis.  

We are delighted to announce the Quantum Information Science and Technology (QuIST) Seminar series for Fall 2023. This interdisciplinary speaker series is aimed at graduate and advanced undergraduate students in engineering and science departments. This seminar series will pave the way to understanding research topics pursued internationally by renowned researchers in the community. The series will take place at 1127 Kemper Hall on Tuesdays 2-3 pm.

The list of QuIST Seminar speakers

10/10/2023 Anirudh Krishna, Stanford University 

According to researchers, alumni and students in the University of California, Davis, College of Engineering, it's a "sizzling" and an "exhilarating time" to be involved with quantum information sciences. Not just because it is grabbing headlines and inspiring blockbuster movie storylines but because there is a new surge of new opportunities related to quantum information sciences for students at UC Davis. 

Photonics, which operate based on particles of light (photons), are increasingly important for applications such as optical communications, connections between electronic and optical networks, and imaging. But silicon, the go-to semiconductor for making electronic chips, is not a great material for photonic applications because it shows poor absorption of near-infrared light compared to other semiconductors such as gallium arsenide. On the other hand, gallium arsenide is difficult to integrate with silicon microelectronics.

The National Academy of Engineering, or NAE, has selected Marina Radulaski, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, to participate in The Grainger Foundation Frontiers of Engineering 2023 Symposium. 

She is among but 81 highly accomplished early-career engineers who will attend the invite-only event at the University of Colorado, Boulder from September 10 to September 13. 

UC Davis Quantum Information Science and Technology programs trained over a 100 students last year, from high school to postdoctoral stage. We asked graduating students to reflect on their QuIST experiences. Here is what they had to say.

high school researcher en route to Stanford University undergraduate program in physics