Rice University physicist Yonglong Xie has received a $888,555 CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation to advance research in quantum technology. Xie’s project aims to harness magnons, quantum mechanical wavelike objects in magnetic materials, to create synthetic matter and develop next-generation quantum devices and sensors. The research will use graphene in a strong magnetic field to launch and detect magnons, potentially leading to applications in ultra-low-power electronics, computing, and energy conversion. Xie previously worked at Harvard University and MIT, and holds a Ph.D. in physics from Princeton University.
NSF CAREER Award Granted to Rice University Physicist for Quantum Technology Research
Yonglong Xie, an assistant professor of physics at Rice University, has been recognized with a Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award from the National Science Foundation (NSF). This award, which is considered one of the NSF’s most prestigious, is given to early career faculty who show promise in both research and education. Xie’s research, which will be supported by an $888,555 grant over five years, is focused on the utilization of magnons, quantum mechanical wavelike objects in magnetic materials, to develop synthetic matter and advance quantum devices and sensors.
Magnons: The Building Blocks of Quantum Phenomena
Xie’s project is centered on the exploration of quantum phenomena that can be engineered using magnons as building blocks. The aim is to advance the understanding of fundamental quantum science. Magnons, which display fundamentally different characteristics than electrons, have a collective behavior in solids that remains largely unexplored. Xie’s research aims to better understand magnons in order to create synthetic matter not found in nature and develop quantum devices and sensors with unprecedented functionalities.
Graphene: A Platform for Magnon Research
The research will employ graphene, a sheet of carbon atoms, placed in a strong magnetic field as a platform to efficiently launch and detect magnons. This research has the potential to lead to technological applications in ultra-low-power electronics, information transfer, computing, sensing, energy conversion, and more. Xie expressed gratitude for the award, stating that it will enable important research at the intersection of physics, materials science, and quantum technology.
Education and Outreach: Connecting Quantum Technology with Society
In addition to his research, Xie will also lead education and outreach programs for high school, undergraduate, and graduate students. These programs aim to connect materials education with the growing societal demand for quantum technology. Xie joined the Rice faculty in the Department of Physics and Astronomy in July 2023. Prior to joining Rice, he was a Harvard Quantum Initiative Prize Postdoctoral Fellow working in Amir Yacoby’s group at Harvard University in close collaboration with Pablo Jarillo-Herrero’s group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Yonglong Xie: A Career in Quantum Physics
Before his tenure at Rice University, Xie was a Harvard Quantum Initiative Prize Postdoctoral Fellow, working in Amir Yacoby’s group at Harvard University. He also collaborated closely with Pablo Jarillo-Herrero’s group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Xie received his Ph.D. in physics in 2019 under the supervision of Ali Yazdani at Princeton University and holds an M.S. from Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris. His career has been marked by a dedication to the exploration and understanding of quantum phenomena, a pursuit that will be further supported by the NSF CAREER Award.
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