UConn Quantum Alliance
Dedicated to advancing quantum science and technology
Quantum technology is redefining the limits of what’s possible — powering breakthroughs in secure communication, ultra-fast computing, advanced sensing, and next-generation materials. From revolutionizing national security to enabling life-saving medical innovations and reshaping global industries, quantum advances are transforming the world.
The UConn Quantum Alliance is a multi-disciplinary platform uniting researchers, educators, and innovators to:
Foster collaboration across science and engineering disciplines
Advance pioneering research and technological breakthroughs
Strengthen educational opportunities for the next generation
Computing & Cybersecurity
Transformative processing capacity and resilient data protection
Pharma & Biotech
Precision at the molecular scale and accelerated therapeutic discovery
Aerospace & Defense
Cutting-edge navigation, sensing, and secure communications
Financial Technologies
Advanced encryption, risk modeling, and algorithmic optimization
Energy Security
Innovative materials and pathways for sustainable energy
About the Alliance
Our Mission: To lead quantum science & technology at UConn and beyond through collaborative research, bold innovation, and transformative education — shaping the future of academia, industry, and society.
78 faculty across disciplines convene through the Alliance to advance quantum science and technology in three research domains.
Quantum in the News
UConn-led Team an NSF Engines Finalist
September 18, 2025
From Quantum Concepts to Traffic Flow
August 19, 2025
Crystal Visions
March 31, 2025
UConn, Google, NORDITA Experts Team Up on Qubits
January 7, 2025
Innovation & Impact
Quantum Startups
Quantum Alliance faculty turn quantum discoveries into real-world applications through these startups.
Access Quantum
Advanced materials discovery through computational engineering.
Founder: Sanjeev K. Nayak, Materials Science & Engineering
QuaSIM
Creating breakthrough classical and quantum algorithms to exponentially reduce the time required to simulate granular materials.
Founder: Bodhisattwa Chaudhuri, Pharmaceutical Sciences
QueHOT
Building a hybrid quantum processor using pulses of light and novel quantum materials.
Founder: Carlos Trallero, Department of Physics
We-Sensing
New generation AI-powered sensors for long-term monitoring of contaminants and nutrients in natural environment and engineering systems.
Founders: Baikun Li and Xingyu Wang, Civil and Environmental Engineering. Yu Lei, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
The Quantum Alliance collaborates with leading Connecticut industries shaped by the emerging quantum economy:
Aerospace and defense
Insurance and Financial services
Pharma & Biotech
Education & Outreach
Building the Workforce of the Future
The UConn Quantum Alliance is preparing a quantum-ready workforce to meet the opportunities and challenges of rapidly evolving technologies. Through education, training, and outreach, we ensure that industries impacted by quantum innovation have the talent they need to thrive.
At the heart of our outreach is QuanXR, a hands-on initiative that sparks curiosity and builds quantum literacy. Through interactive learning, community engagement, and immersive workshops, QuanXR inspires students and educators to explore the possibilities of quantum science and technology.
Speaker Series
Our events bring together interdisciplinary experts to explore the frontiers of quantum science, fostering a collaborative environment that drives novel research, innovative quantum curricula for schools, and specialized training programs for the industry workforce.
Upcoming
September 19, 2025
Previous
July 17, 2025
April 17, 2025
Alliance Leadership
Innovating in sensors, quantum materials, and nanoscale applications.
Alexander Balatsky
Physics
Balatsky conducts pioneering research on quantum materials and develops quantum imaging and informatics with applications from superconductors to medical systems.
Baikun Li
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Li advances microbial processes for sustainable wastewater treatment and bioenergy while creating biosensors for environmental monitoring.
Menka Jain
Physics
Jain studies quantum and functional metal-oxide materials to drive advances in energy, sensing, and quantum device applications.
Ilya Sochnikov
Physics
Sochnikov investigates emergent behaviors in complex materials using SQUID microscopy to reveal fundamental insights in quantum matter.
Driving breakthroughs in secure communication, computing, and cryptography.
Bing Wang
School of Computing
Wang develops network optimization and security methods that strengthen quantum-enabled computing and secure communications.
Walter O. Krawec
School of Computing
Krawec researches quantum cryptography and information theory, advancing secure communications through fundamental quantum principles.
Supporting the next generation of quantum thinkers and creating pathways for student involvement.
Jason Hancock
Physics
Hancock explores quantum phenomena in novel materials with photon-based spectroscopies and promotes accessibility through quantum education.
Amit Savkar
Mathematics
Savkar applies mathematical modeling and data science to quantum research while innovating teaching methods in quantitative skills.
Contact
Sanjeev K. Nayak
Materials Science & Engineering
Nayak coordinates the UConn Quantum Alliance, fostering collaborations that advance quantum materials, computing, communications, and sensing for real-world impact.
For more information on the Quantum Alliance, contact sanjeev.nayak@uconn.edu