Starting in fall 2022, our GAANN program in quantum engineering will provide fellowships for seven students to pursue PhD degrees in the Departments of Electrical, Computer & Energy Engineering and Chemical & Biological Engineering.

The fellows will be trained in interdisciplinary science and engineering principles and practices to prepare them for teaching and research careers that address critical and rapidly growing national needs in quantum engineering.

 Program Requirements
 Affiliated Faculty

Why CU Boulder?

CU Boulder’s program is uniquely positioned to meet needs in quantum education, with broad research expertise ranging from materials to devices and systems, as well as deep connections to college and campus initiatives in quantum science and engineering.

Our GAANN fellows will be tackling some of the grand challenges in quantum science and engineering. These include enabling ultra-precise sensing and measurement with quantum advantage, establishing engineering principles for quantum science and building national infrastructure for quantum science and engineering. Examples include:

  • High kinetic inductance superconducting qubits
  • Two qubit gates for novel qubits
  • Implementation of robust quantum sensing
  • Developing a new navigation and timing technology
  • Single photon source and detector
  • Nonlinear materials for quantum light source
  • Quantum energy harvesting devices
  • Nonlinear systems theory for quantum systems
  • Quantum control applied to biological specimen
  • Computer architecture for quantum computing

We’re looking to prepare “quantum-smart” engineers ready to lead the progress in quantum technology in both academia and industry.

Program Requirements

Elective Courses

Fellows selected for the proposed program will be expected to choose at least three of their elective courses from the following courses:

  • ECEE courses: ECEN 5033 Foundations of Quantum Hardware, ECEN 5016 Special Topics: Foundations of Quantum Information and Computation, ECEN 5015 Special Topics: Optical Properties of Materials, ECEN 5015 Special Topics: Nanophotonics, ECEN 5645 Introduction to Optical Electronics, ECEN 5606 Optics Laboratory I, ECEN 5626 Active Optical Devices, ECEN 6005 Special Topics: Solar Energy Conversion, ECEN 5016 Special Topics: Quantum Communications and Cryptography, ECEN 5016 Special Topics: Quantum Error Correction, ECEN 5016 Special Topics: Quantum Estimation, Sensing and Metrology, ECEN 5016 Special Topics: Quantum Control Theory, ECEN 5016 Special Topics: Quantum System Integration, ECEN 5016 Special Topics: Quantum Materials & Devices
  • ChBE courses: CHEN 5128 - Graduate Statistics for R & D, CHEN 5360 - Catalysis and Kinetics, CHEN 5450 - Polymer Chemistry, CHEN 5460 - Polymer Engineering, CHEN 5740 - Analytical Methods, CHEN 5750 - Numerical Methods, CHEN 5803 - Metabolic Engineering, CHEN 5805 – Biomaterials, CHEN 5820 - Biochemical Separations, CHEN 5835 - Colloids & Interfaces, CHEN 5838 - Special Topics, CHEN 5900 - Pharmaceutical Biotechnology. Other special topics courses that have been offered in the past five years have included Nanomaterials, Biorenewable Energy, Electrochemistry, Protein and Enzyme Engineering, and Solar Cells. Additionally, students take at least two courses outside of their own discipline, to broaden their education.
  • Courses from other departments: PHYS 5520 Introduction to Magnetic Materials & Devices, PHYS 7550 Atomic & Molecular Spectra, PHYS 7560 Quantum Optics, PHYS 7650 Nonlinear & Nano-Optics, CHEM 5261 Structural Bonding of Materials, MCEN 5370 Materials Thermodynamics, CHEM 5271 Chemistry of Solar Energy, MCEN 5183 Mechanics of Composites

In their first semester, each GAANN fellow will also take a course ECEN 5000 Graduate Seminar and Professional Development in ECEE and Research Methods and Ethics in ChBE, which provide an opportunity to learn fundamental skills required for performing research and leading a professional career.  

Professional Development

A series of professional module on subjects such as professional communications, engineering leadership, project management, engineering ethics, and entrepreneurship are being created. GAANN fellows will be expected to take at least three modules. They will each be one credit and of five weeks’ duration, so that students can mix and match modules. We are expanding this concept to elective modules on advanced technical subjects, so that the PhD students have greater flexibility in tailoring their programs of study to meet their individual needs.

All GAANN fellows will also have the opportunity to undertake a co-curricular professional experience. These experiences will typically be 2-4 months in length and be a deep, full immersion (versus part-time or on the side). Each student's experience will be tailored to her or his career interests, and typical examples include:

  • Undertake an internship in industry or government lab
  • Participate in an international research or service project
  • Serve as the instructor/co-instructor for a full course in our college or elsewhere

GAANN Faculty

The program has 22 faculty participants from the ECEE and ChBE departments, who have active research programs in areas relevant to quantum engineering and are widely recognized for excellence in both teaching and research.  

Program Leadership

  • Wounjhang Park, Director. Professor, Department of Electrical, Computer & Energy Engineering
  • Jennifer N. Cha, Co-director. David Clough Endowed Professor, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

Participating Faculty

  • Frank S. Barnes. Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering
  • Xudong Chen. Assistant Professor, Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering
  • Joshua Combes. Assistant Professor, Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering
  • Emiliano Dall’Anese. Assistant Professor, Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering; Affiliate faculty, Department of Applied Mathematics
  • Dejan S. Filipovic. Professor and Hudson Moore Jr. Endowed Chair, Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering
  • Juliet T. Gopinath. Professor, Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering; Associate Professor by courtesy, Department of Physics
  • András Gyenis. Assistant Professor, Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering
  • Adam Holewinski. Assistant Professor, Chemical and Biological Engineering
  • Shu-Wei Huang. Assistant Professor, Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering
  • Tamara Silbergleit Lehman. Assistant Professor, Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering; Assistant Professor by courtesy, Department of Computer Science
  • Seth Marder. Professor, Chemical and Biological Engineering; Director, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI)
  • Robert R. McLeod. Professor, Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering Past Director of Materials and Science and Engineering Program
  • J. Will Medlin. Denver Business Challenge Endowed Professor and Chair of Chemical & Biological Engineering
  • Garret Moddel. Professor Emeritus, Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering
  • Charles Musgrave. Robert H. Davis Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Associate Dean for Graduate Education
  • Marco M. Nicotra. Assistant Professor, Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering
  • Lucy Y. Pao. Palmer Endowed Chair Professor, Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering; Professor by courtesy, Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences; Fellow, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI)
  • Rafael Piestun. Professor, Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering; Professor by courtesy, Department of Physics; Biomedical Engineering Program; STROBE NSF Science and Technology Center on Real-Time Functional Imaging
  • Zoya Popovic. Distinguished Professor and Lockheed Martin Chair, Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering
  • Sean E. Shaheen. Professor, Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering; Fellow, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI)