A $4 million, two-year design award from the National Science Foundation will fund a consortium led by Ohio State University, marking the only such NSF-backed group specifically focused on advancing quantum sensing technologies. The funding will unite researchers working to harness quantum entanglement, a phenomenon where particles become linked, to build sensors capable of measuring materials and molecules with greater precision. Michael Flatté, professor at Iowa, will lead efforts to design the materials and devices for evaluation by the consortium. “The key goal is a clear demonstration that this technology is superior to all nonquantum competitors for a given application,” Flatté says, as the team aims to establish a “road map to technology” and measurable metrics proving the superiority of quantum sensors for real-world applications.
This two-year award will facilitate collaboration between several institutions, including MIT, the University of Chicago, and UC Santa Barbara, to translate quantum principles into practical applications spanning healthcare, geology, and computing. Iowa’s $240,000 share of the funding will support research led by Michael Flatté, professor, focusing on the design of materials and devices for enhanced sensor performance. The project, titled “Distributed-Entanglement Quantum Sensing of Chemical Properties,” or DQS-CP, centers on a sensing platform comprised of the target molecule, a spin-relay layer, and a quantum readout, with entanglement used to surpass conventional measurement limits. Researchers envision a flexible platform where carefully entangled components will enable measurements beyond the capabilities of current sensors, potentially revolutionizing material analysis and molecular detection. Flatté notes that additional funding could be awarded if the initial phase of research proves successful, highlighting the NSF’s commitment to fostering quantum technology development and establishing a clear path toward real-world impact. The consortium’s work will directly inform the development of specific demonstrations designed to showcase the benefits of quantum sensing to the NSF.
Iowa’s funding share is $240,000, although Flatté notes that there could be more funding if the NSF judges this phase of research as successful.
Flatté’s team is focused on theoretical advancements and the creation of a “road map to technology” that establishes quantifiable metrics for demonstrating superiority over existing, non-quantum technologies. Researchers anticipate that by carefully entangling components within this system, they can surpass the limitations of conventional measurement techniques; Iowa’s $240,000 share of the funding could increase should this initial phase prove successful, accelerating the development of this sensing capability. The consortium’s work is structured around establishing measurable benchmarks, directing efforts toward specific demonstrations intended to showcase the potential of quantum technology to the NSF.
The funding will bring together top researchers and partners to push quantum technologies toward real‑world use, particularly in understanding materials and molecules with unprecedented precision.
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