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 within three research clusters.

Quantum in the News

Innovation & Impact

Quantum Startups

Quantum Alliance faculty turn quantum discoveries into real-world applications through these startups.

Access Quantum Logo

Access Quantum

Advanced quantum materials discovery through computational engineering.
Founder: Sanjeev K. Nayak, Materials Science & Engineering

AlgorighmicProAI Logo

AlgorithmicProAI

Low-cost, high-speed data linking solutions using AI-driven, novel computational techniques to solve large-scale information integration challenges.
Founder: Sanguthevar Rajasekaran, School of Computing

QuaSIM Logo

QuaSIM

Creating breakthrough classical and quantum algorithms to exponentially reduce the time required to simulate granular materials.
Founder: Bodhisattwa Chaudhuri, Pharmaceutical Sciences

QueHOT Logo

QueHOT

Building a hybrid quantum processor using pulses of light and novel quantum materials.
Founder: Carlos Trallero, Department of Physics

We-Sensing Logo

We-Sensing

Next-generation AI- and quantum-powered sensors for long-term, labor-saving monitoring of contaminants and nutrients across natural environments, engineered systems, and laboratory settings.
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.

QuanXR students in chemistry lab workshop
instructor giving a lecture

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.
QuanXR logo

Molecular Quantum (MolQ) Day at UConn for high school students — Saturday, November 15, 2025, 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m., UConn Chemistry Building, Storrs Campus. Features hands-on workshops, lab visits, and presentations on quantum concepts and technologies. Applications due October 15, 2025. Hosted by Drs. Mani, Selampinar, and Zhao; funded by NASA Connecticut Space Grant Consortium and QuanXR.This fall, QuanXR will host Molecular Quantum (MolQ) Day — an interactive event for high school students featuring chemistry-based experiments, lab tours, and discussions led by UConn faculty. Designed to make complex quantum concepts accessible and engaging, MolQ Day introduces young learners to the quantum principles shaping tomorrow’s technologies.

Quantum Technologies in Engineering Systems

A Fall 2025 UConn seminar series for civil and environmental engineering students covering quantum technologies, next-generation materials, sustainable systems, and AI–quantum applications.

CE/ENVE 5090 Seminar Series: Quantum Technologies in Engineering Systems, Fall 2025. Weekly seminars on Wednesdays, 1–2 PM, CAST 201. Topics include next-gen materials, sustainable systems, climate-resilient design, quantum computing, AI–quantum synergy, and smart infrastructure. Open to all engineering students, no quantum background required. Coordinator: Baikun Li, UConn College of Engineering.

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

No upcoming events.

Previous

September 19, 2025

UConn Quantum Consortium event on Quantum Algorithm, Computation, and Cryptography featuring Dr. Omar Amer from JPMorgan Chase on quantum cryptography, and Howard Lock from IonQ on quantum networking. To be held Friday, September 19, 2025, 2:30–4:00 pm (plus 1-hour networking) at IPB-317, 159 Discovery Dr., Storrs, CT. Hosted by Bing Wang and Walter O. Krawec.

July 17, 2025

UConn Quantum Consortium Education & Promotion invited talk on national quantum information science and engineering education and workforce needs, by Benjamin M. Zwickl and Andi R. Piña from Rochester Institute of Technology. Online via Microsoft Teams on Thursday, July 17, 2025, 2:30–4:00 pm EDT. Hosted by Jason Hancock and Amit Savkar.

April 17, 2025

UConn Quantum Consortium event on Quantum Technology and Healthcare featuring speakers Nicole Wake (GE HealthCare), Ali Tamayol (UConn Health), and Guoan Zheng (UConn Storrs), covering quantum healthcare applications, corporate R&D in quantum tech, quantum-enhanced ptychography, quantum biotech devices, and deep tech commercialization. Held April 17, 2025, 2:30–4:00 pm at Room 317, Innovation Partnership Building, 159 Discovery Dr., Storrs, CT

Quantum Alliance Members

Quantum Materials & Sensors

Innovating in sensors, quantum materials, and nanoscale applications.

Alexander Balatsky Physics alexander.balatsky@uconn.edu
Osama Bilal Mechanical, Aerospace, and Manufacturing Engineering osama.bilal@uconn.edu
Necmi Biyikli Electrical and Computer Engineering necmi.biyikli@uconn.edu
Bodhi Chaudhuri Pharmaceutical Sciences bodhi.chaudhuri@uconn.edu
Simone Colombo Physics simone.colombo@uconn.edu
Gayanath Fernando Physics gayanath.fernando@uconn.edu
Ali Gokirmak Electrical and Computer Engineering ali.gokirmak@uconn.edu
Jason Hancock Physics jason.hancock@uconn.edu
Jeffrey Hoch Molecular Biology & Biophysics jeffrey.hoch@uconn.edu
James Hohman Chemistry james.hohman@uconn.edu
Faquir Jain Electrical and Computer Engineering faquir.jain@uconn.edu
Menka Jain Physics menka.jain@uconn.edu
Bahram Javidi Electrical and Computer Engineering bahram.javidi@uconn.edu
Jeongho Kim Civil and Environmental Engineering jeongho.kim@uconn.edu
Anh-Thu Le Physics thu.le@uconn.edu
Yu Lei Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering yu.lei@uconn.edu
Baikun Li Civil and Environmental Engineering baikun.li@uconn.edu
Tomoyasu Mani Chemistry tomoyasu.mani@uconn.edu
Daniel McCarron Physics daniel.mccarron@uconn.edu
Jeffrey McCutcheon Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering jeffrey.mccutcheon@uconn.edu
Sanjeev Nayak Materials Science & Engineering sanjeev.nayak@uconn.edu
Umut Ozuguzel Chemistry umut.ozuguzel@uconn.edu
Georges Pavlidis Mechanical, Aerospace, and Manufacturing Engineering georges.pavlidis@uconn.edu
Sanjubala Sahoo Materials Science & Engineering sanjubala.sahoo@uconn.edu
Ilya Sochnikov Physics ilya.sochnikov@uconn.edu
Ranjan Srivastava Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering ranjan.srivastava@uconn.edu
Steven Suib Chemistry steven.suib@uconn.edu
Carlos Trallero Physics carlos.trallero@uconn.edu
Pavel Volkov Physics pavel.volkov@uconn.edu
Brian Willis Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering brian.willis@uconn.edu
Baris Yavas Materials Science & Engineering baris.yavas@uconn.edu
Jing Zhao Chemistry jing.zhao@uconn.edu
Guoan Zheng Biomedical Engineering guoan.zheng@uconn.edu
Quantum Algorithm, Cryptography, and Computation

Driving breakthroughs in secure communication, computing, and cryptography.

Phillip Bradford Computing phillip.bradford@uconn.edu
Monika Filipovska Civil and Environmental Engineering monika.filipovska@uconn.edu
Bahram Javidi Electrical and Computer Engineering bahram.javidi@uconn.edu
Walter Krawec Computing walter.krawec@uconn.edu
Chang Liu Mechanical, Aerospace, and Manufacturing Engineering chang_liu@uconn.edu
George Lykotrafitis Mechanical, Aerospace, and Manufacturing Engineering george.lykotrafitis@uconn.edu
Fei Miao Computing fei.miao@uconn.edu
Malaquias Pena Mendez Civil and Environmental Engineering mpena@uconn.edu
Sanguthevar Rajasekaran Computing sanguthevar.rajasekaran@uconn.edu
Bing Wang Computing bing@uconn.edu
Wei Zhang Computing wei.13.zhang@uconn.edu
Shan Zuo Electrical and Computer Engineering shan.zuo@uconn.edu
Quantum Education & Promotion

Supporting the next generation of quantum thinkers and creating pathways for student involvement.

Xinnian Chen Physiology and Neurobiology xinnian.chen@uconn.edu
Caroline Dealy Orthodontics caroline.dealy@uconn.edu
Morgaen Donaldson Education morgaen.donaldson@uconn.edu
Lea Ferreira dos Santos Physics lea.santos@uconn.edu
Monika Filipovska Civil and Environmental Engineering monika.filipovska@uconn.edu
Jason Hancock Physics jason.hancock@uconn.edu
Jeffrey Hines Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice jeffrey.hines@uconn.edu
Michael Jones Academic Program Development and Support mljones@uconn.edu
Amit Savkar Mathematics amit.savkar@uconn.edu
Helena Silva Electrical and Computer Engineering helena.silva@uconn.edu
Vincent Tycer Dramatic Arts vincent.tycer@uconn.edu
Diego Valente Physics diego.valente@uconn.edu

Contact

Sanjeev Nayak

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