Abdelghani Laraoui, a research group leader with Nebraska EPSCoR’s EQUATE collaboration on quantum materials science, is collaborating with Jackson State University (JSU) faculty on a new U.S. National Science Foundation award through NSF’s ExpandQISE program. QISE is an acronym for Quantum Information Science and Engineering.
The newly-funded project, Collaboration on Quantum Sensing Research and Education for Minority Participants, includes a three-year award for $800,000 to help train dozens of African-American youth while developing America’s expertise in quantum sensing.
The project, launching in October 2024, has a plan to mentor 80 graduate, undergraduate, and K-12 minority participants from JSU and nearby community colleges and K-12 schools during its three-year term. The goal is to provide comprehensive training in quantum biosensing through QISE coursework and use of diamond quantum microscopy-- a specialty of Laraoui, who’s an assistant professor of mechanical and materials engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL).
Specifically this research focuses on the development and application of quantum sensing technology by using nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers in diamond for real time monitoring of cytochrome-c (cyt-c) release during cell apoptosis. The long-term outcome of this research is to establish scientific design criteria for quantum material-based multifunction compatible sensors for in vivo imaging of cyt-c -- a fundamental advance for quantum information technologies.
This Nebraska-Mississippi project aims to: (1) improve research infrastructure in quantum sensing capability at JSU by developing diamond quantum microscope, (2) develop collaborative MS/PhD advising program for URM students with a strong focus on quantum sensing, (3) initiate summer research for undergraduate (REU) program at JSU for URM participants in QISE research and education, (4) build QISE research and education program for URM K-12 participants, and (5) design a new QISE course with an emphasis on the hands-on and project-based learning modules.
As a Historically Black University (HBCU) and the only urban university in Mississippi, JSU has a unique opportunity to attract and retain African-American students in Quantum Information Science and Engineering (QISE) research and education. African Americans represent 98 percent of the minority population in Mississippi and 37 percent of the state’s citizens, giving it the highest concentration per capita of this minority group in the nation.
This project is co-funded by NSF’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP), which provides awards to strengthen undergraduate education and research in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) at HBCUs. This award was jointly funded by NSF’s Directorate for Engineering; Division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation; NSF’s Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences; and NSF’s Office of Strategic Initiatives, which includes EPSCoR (Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) projects to promote geographic diversity in STEM funding.
In his lab at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Engineering, Abdelghani Laraoui works on improving scientific materials and processes for quantum sensing applications.
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