At one time, artificial intelligence, video calls, and even automobiles lived in the realm of science fiction – yet with bold vision and innovation, the world’s greatest minds made these inventions real. Today, the word “quantum” may evoke images of the future, but at UConn, quantum is already here.
Scientists at UConn are on the forefront of the second quantum revolution, uncovering how to leverage the science of quantum physics to create new technologies in computing, sensing, communication, and simulation to solve the most complex problems facing our society.
In July 2026, the National Science Foundation (NSF) announced that UConn will lead the NSF Quantum Technologies Engine in Connecticut (QuantumCT), which aims to advance American quantum innovation, accelerate workforce readiness in quantum and quantum-adjacent technologies, and secure the domestic quantum supply chain through commercialization of quantum technologies for national defense, biotechnology, and financial services.
The Engine — a partnership with Yale University, Southern Connecticut State University, Connecticut State Community College, ConnCORP, CT Innovations, and the State of Connecticut — will advance quantum sensing, secured communications, computing, and materials through innovation, applied research leading to new technologies, support for inventors and entrepreneurs, and workforce development.
The QuantumCT Engine team will initially receive a two-year, $15 million award. The funds will support the Engine’s technology translation, workforce development, and incubator operations. The funds will also facilitate industry and community engagement to deliver broad societal benefits. By demonstrating sufficient progress, the QuantumCT Engine has the potential to receive $160 million from NSF over the next decade.
Quantum physics (also known as mechanics) describes the smallest, most fundamental things in our universe, such as subatomic particles. Researchers theorize that particles in the quantum world act differently than in classical physics. Instead of binary yes/no answers, there are many possibilities of how particles will react when faced with barriers and other variables.
“In the quantum world, rules on what is possible are drastically different from our everyday expectations,” explains UConn theoretical physics professor Alexander Balatsky.
UConn’s work in this space goes back decades, and dozens of researchers across the University are advancing quantum technology to open the doors to personalized medicine and imaging, ultra-precise navigation, unbreakable data security, and more.
Quantum Connects UConn, Yale Like Never Before
For more than 100 years, UConn and Yale have served as Connecticut’s most prolific research universities. With quantum technology and innovation as a catalyst, the two institutions are enjoying unprecedented collaboration, to the benefit of the entire state.
UConn Business Students Claim ‘Double Victories’ at QuantumUP! Event
Two student teams from the UConn School of Business’s Business Analytics and Project Management (MSBAPM) master’s program won competitions at the QuantumUP! hackathon at the UConn Graduate Business Learning Center in Hartford on April 8, combining cutting-edge technologies, innovation, and collaboration to solve complicated transportation issues. Both teams will be awarded $5,000 prizes.
UConn’s Quantum Spring
As the state awaits word on a transformative grant, UConn continues to prioritize quantum research and technology through a series of events held in March and April.
Colder than Ice: Developing an Improved Quantum Degenerate Cooling Method
Simone Colombo is developing a faster method for cooling gases with a host of quantum applications.
UConn Tech Park Poised to Become a Hub of Global Semiconductor Research and Innovation
An international leader in electron microscopy and scientific instrumentation plans to launch a cutting-edge research center at the UConn Tech Park, positioning Connecticut to become a hub for the global semiconductor industry with on-site manufacturing, technology innovation, and workforce development.
UConn Quantum Alliance Shatters Disciplinary Silos
While “quantum” has become a buzzword representing cutting-edge and new technology, UConn has been active in related research stretching back decades. More than 80 faculty researchers across 13 different University departments have been formally brought together as the UConn Quantum Alliance to advance interdisciplinary work in areas including computing and cybersecurity, pharmaceutical and biotechnology, aerospace and defense, fintech, and energy security.
From Quantum Concepts to Traffic Flow: UConn Researcher Reimagines Transportation Resilience
In an era of rising climate threats, aging infrastructure, and increasingly complex transportation systems, UConn’s Monika Filipovska is leading a bold and timely research initiative that could revolutionize how cities prepare for and respond to disruptions.
Supported by a new grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), her work seeks to harness the power of quantum computing to build more reliable, resilient transportation networks — the essential systems that move people, goods, and services every day.
UConn and Yale-Led QuantumCT a Finalist for Transformative NSF Award
The UConn and Yale University-led “NSF Engine: Advancing Quantum Technologies (QuantumCT)” proposal is a finalist for a significant National Science Foundation (NSF) grant. Administered through the multibillion-dollar Regional Innovations Engines Program, the grant has the potential to transform the state’s economy and capacity for technological advancement.
QuantumCT exemplifies UConn’s commitment to the transformative capability of quantum science. The initiative includes dozens of partners across Connecticut, with the goal of making the state the nation’s lead quantum accelerator.
UConn’s Tech Incubator a Model of Quantum’s Many Applications
As home to six quantum-related start-ups, UConn’s Technology Incubation Program (TIP) is a microcosm of the diverse technological possibilities of quantum. Access Quantum, for example, uses quantum principles to develop alloys and materials with more desirable properties, particularly those used in the aerospace industry where extreme environments demand new and better fatigue-resistant materials.
Powering the Next Generation of Quantum Technology
UConn scientists and engineers are poised to contribute important research to a project designed to remove the microscopic defects that hinder development of quantum technology.
In April, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) awarded Rigetti Computing and its research partners a $5.48 million grant to further develop chip fabrication technology. The project seeks to address the defects in superconducting qubits — the basic units of quantum information — through the development of state-of-the-art materials.
Groundbreaking Work Reaffirms UConn’s Excellence in Laser Research
From studying the mysterious fabric of our universe to advancing quantum computing to enabling communication over vast distances, ultrafast laser technologies drive advancements across many fields and applications. New research is taking lasers — and UConn — further.
UConn Department of Physics researchers have broken new ground by achieving higher peak power and average power in optical pulses than ever before with a novel class of lasers.
Crystal Visions
A multi-institutional team of American Scientists led by UConn chemistry assistant professor J. Nathan “Nate” Hohman traveled to Tokyo in 2022 to take a spin on a high-powered X-ray laser. They hoped to use the machine’s unique capabilities to study new materials whose molecular structure had never been understood before. High-profile projects like this are nothing new to Hohman, whose research has been sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy for its potential to unlock new, better sources of energy. The semiconductors Hohman studies are integral to developing quantum technology.
UConn, Google, NORDITA Experts Team Up on Qubits
UConn physicists have partnered with Google Quantum AI and Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics (NORDITA) quantum experts on a groundbreaking paper on the effects of gravitation on quantum information systems. The researchers demonstrated that classical gravitation has a non-trivial influence on computing hardware. They investigated the interaction of qubits – basic units of quantum information – with a classical gravitational field.
The work quantifies the effect that gravitation has on quantum information systems, such as the qubits of a quantum computer. The team envisions special-purpose qubit chip designs whose optimized layouts dramatically enhance gravitational sensing capabilities, an advance that could ultimately enable GPS-free navigation.
Immersive Quantum Computing Workshop Gets Microscopic
The two-day Quantum Computing Workshop hosted at UConn Health in Farmington trained members of the public — including industry leaders, engineering organizations, faculty, and state government — on quantum computing fundamentals, algorithms, security impacts, communications and applications. “Our faculty leaders are laying the foundation of quantum research,” said UConn College of Engineering Dean JC Zhao. “Through their expertise and mastery, this event will equip participants with the knowledge to harness quantum mechanics for solving complex engineering challenges and driving innovation.”
Quantum Seed Grants Are Funding Solutions to Real-World Problems
Nine grants awarded by QuantumCT to Connecticut-based research groups seek to use quantum technology to solve challenges faced by Connecticut industries including aerospace, biotech, and life sciences, such as the need to develop algorithms that simulate molecular drug actions in the body, or to invent exquisitely accurate but hardy sensors that work in extreme environments with little power.
Shining Light Makes Materials Magnetic at Room Temperature
From faster computers to more efficient energy use, a new quantum study with roots at UConn can potentially revolutionize technology.
So far, researchers have only been able to induce quantum behaviors like magnetism and superconductivity at extremely low temperatures in controlled lab environments. This limits the potential of quantum research to certain conditions.
Now, there has been a breakthrough. In 2016, UConn Physics professor and Institute for Materials Science researcher Alexander Balatsky worked with collaborators to develop a theory. The team of researchers from UConn, NORDITA, and SU are the first in the world to induce quantum behavior at room temperature, making a non-magnetic material magnetic using laser light.
Big ideas come from out of the blue.
Behind every breakthrough, there’s a story of creativity and commitment. One where individuals come together, fueled by a shared vision and sustained by imagination and persistence.
