Florida State University recently partnered with the University of Florida (UF) to bring a flagship symposium in quantum materials to the state.
The 2024 International Symposium on Quantum Fluids and Solids took place July 24-30 in Jacksonville, Fla. The event brought scientists and engineers whose work explores the workings of materials characterized by quantum mechanics, a branch of physics that describes the behavior of particles at very small scales, such as atoms, molecules and subatomic particles.
“Researchers in our state are making great strides in understanding quantum states and using that knowledge to develop groundbreaking tools,” said Wei Guo, a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, who co-chaired the symposium with University of Florida Professor Yoonseok Lee.
More than 170 participants from 18 different countries registered for the event.
Along with FSU and UF, sponsors included the National Science Foundation; Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, which supports Guo’s research into superfluid helium; the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics; and the FSU-headquartered National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, which supports quantum research through resources such as its 32-tesla superconducting magnet and the laboratory’s quantum spin dynamics research group. Industry sponsors are Oxford Instruments PLC, Maybell Quantum and Bluefors.
The QFS conference has been a cornerstone in the exploration of quantum phenomena in materials since 1997. It focuses not only on conventional quantum fluid systems, such as helium and trapped cold atoms, but also extends to embrace interdisciplinary applications and recent developments.
“This is an exciting time to be researching quantum materials,” Guo said. “We are seeing some major developments in what we know and what is possible with these materials. Events like this symposium help to bring all that together, giving researchers the opportunity to hear firsthand from their colleagues about the latest breakthroughs.”
FSU is making major investments in quantum technology. At the university’s 2023 quantum symposium, President Richard McCullough announced $20 million in funding to support new faculty hiring, equipment and dedicated space in the university’s Interdisciplinary Research and Commercialization Building (IRCB), and seed money for new interdisciplinary collaborative efforts.
The new IRCB facility, which is expected to open in January 2025, will serve as the headquarters for FSU Quantum. With state-of-the-art equipment and remarkable faculty talent, FSU leadership envisions the IRCB as a regional focal point for quantum science and engineering, drawing researchers from around the Southeast who may use the equipment for their own projects.
Visit the symposium website for more information about the event and a full list of presentations.
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