Quantum Advancements in Light-Matter Interaction

ECE Assistant Professor Marco Colangelo and Associate Professor Cristian Cassella received a $178,896 DARPA grant for their groundbreaking research project, “SuperEMech: Superconducting Electro-Mechanical Platform for Light-Matter Interactions.”
This one-year project aims to develop a revolutionary platform for controlling solid-state materials with light at the single-photon level. By harnessing the power of superconducting electromechanics, this research has the potential to transform quantum information technologies.
The goal is to create a CMOS-compatible platform that leverages the interaction of single photons with localized electromechanical anti-resonant modes. This innovative approach seeks to enhance the performance of single-photon detectors and enable unprecedented control over microwave signals using only photons.
This project aligns with DARPA’s QUAMELEON initiative, which explores the manipulation of quantum materials using electromagnetic fields. QUAMELEON focuses on harnessing the power of light-matter interactions to control and enhance quantum phenomena, paving the way for advanced quantum devices.
This research could lead to significant advancements in quantum sensing, quantum information processing, the development of novel light sources and detectors, quantum transducers, and quantum emulators.