Ohio State establishes Center for Quantum Information Science and Engineering

The Ohio State University recently announced it is establishing the Center for Quantum Information Science and Engineering (CQISE), building on the momentum around a discipline with far-reaching economic and societal impacts.

Quantum information science and engineering is a broadly interdisciplinary field, with the potential to impact the entire STEAM enterprise through the development of new quantum technologies, the exploitation of those technologies to enhance existing activities, and considerations of the societal and cultural impacts of these transformative changes.

“I am pleased to announce a new Ohio State Center for Quantum Information Science and Engineering, where our scientists and engineers will use the properties of quantum mechanics to transform communications, computation and sensing,” said Kristina M. Johnson, president of Ohio State, during her State of the University address on April 21.

The new center will focus not only on creating synergy among the university’s current activity, but look to build on Ohio State’s emergence as a key leader in pushing the field forward. In July 2021, Ohio State joined the Chicago Quantum Exchange, a growing intellectual hub for the research and development of quantum technology. Then in September, the QuSTEAM initiative led by Ohio State was awarded $5 million from the National Science Foundation to develop a diverse, effective and contemporary quantum-ready workforce by revolutionizing and creating more equitable pathways to quantum science education.

These efforts are being further enhanced by an aggressive faculty recruitment effort, including ongoing searches in computer science and engineering, and an interdisciplinary search for two positions across five departments, including physics, chemistry, computer science and engineering, electrical and computer engineering, and materials science and engineering.

Co-directors for the center are Ezekiel Johnston-Halperin, professor in the College of Arts and Sciences Department of Physics, and Ronald M. Reano, professor in the College of Engineering Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.