Congratulations to QMSI’s Prof. Paul Stevenson (Physics) on his new NIH MIRA grant “Quantum sensor-enabled nanoscale magnetic resonance”.

This award will support the development of biocompatible quantum sensing tools to explore biomolecular dynamics at the nanoscale, providing new, quantum-enabled, approaches to single-molecule biophysics.

More specifically, the objective of this proposal is to develop novel strategies for integrating these quantum sensors (the nitrogen-vacancy center in diamond) with proteins and biomembranes. Prof. Stevenson’s innovation is a suite of experimental strategies to improve the sensor compatibility with biological systems, ranging from minimizing photodamage using a total internal reflection geometry, to localizing targets at the sensor surface with supported lipid bilayer formation.

In a recently published article, QMSI’s Prof. Kin Chung Fong and collaborators developed and demonstrated a revolutionary platform that miniaturizes superconducting qubits by 10,000 times as compared to conventional designs. Specifically, vertically stacked van der Waals Josephson junctions with semiconducting weak links are leveraged since their crystalline structures and clean interfaces offer a promising platform for quantum devices. The team observed robust Josephson coupling across 2–12 nm (3–18 atomic layers) of semiconducting WSe2 and, notably, a crossover from proximity- to tunneling-type behavior with increasing weak-link thickness. Building on these results, the team fabricated a prototype all-crystalline merged-element transmon qubit with transmon frequency and anharmonicity closely matching design parameters. The collaborators demonstrated dispersive coupling between this transmon and a microwave resonator, highlighting the potential of crystalline superconductor-semiconductor structures for compact, tailored superconducting quantum devices.

In a recently published article, Prof. Alberto de la Torre of the Quantum Materials and Sensing Institute and co-workers explore how spatial variations—such as twist angle misalignment, nanoscale disorder, and atomic relaxation—impact Moiré heterostructures and their excitonic properties. They highlight advanced characterization techniques like second harmonic generation, scanning near-field optical microscopy, and laser scanning tunneling microscopy, offering insights into Moiré excitons and their potential applications in optoelectronics and quantum technologies.

A novel approach is proposed for the detection of dark-matter in a recently published article, entitled “Graphene-based super-light invisible matter particle search,” authored by Prof. Kin Chung Fong of the Quantum Materials and Sensing Institute at Northeastern University, and collaborators from the University of South Dakota, Texas A&M University, Chungnam National University, and Pohang University of Science and Technology.

The proposed new dark-matter detection strategy improves the minimum detectable mass of super-light dark-matter by more than 3 orders of magnitude compared to ongoing experiments. The approach leverages the Pi-bond electrons in graphene in a Josephson junction to create a highly sensitive detector capable of detecting energy deposits from dark matter as small as ∼0.1 meV.

As recently featured in Northeastern Global News, Northeastern University scientists and collaborators have created a material and device that has enabled the observation of axion quasiparticles for the first time and allowed for a better understanding of dark matter.

Published in Nature, the research effort included multiple organizations and researchers, including three Northeastern physicists: Prof. Arun Bansil, a university distinguished professor and director of the Quantum Materials and Sensing Institute, Prof. Kin Chung Fong, an associate professor of physics and electrical and computer engineering, and Dr. Barun Ghosh, a postdoctoral student.

On February 21, 2025, Northeastern University undergraduate students participated in a tour of quantum research at QMSI. The students had the opportunity to learn about the institute and the quantum research initiatives being pursued by Northeastern University’s world-class QMSI faculty,  research scientists, post-doctoral associates, and graduate students. In addition, a tour of the QMSI laboratories on the Northeastern University Burlington Campus provided real-life exposure to the activities and instrumentation involved in executing leading-edge quantum research.

For a comprehensive review of the vibrant field of quantum materials, look no further than the excellent review article by Prof. Vincent G. Harris, of Northeastern University’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and member of QMSI, and Prof. Parisa Andalib, of Northeastern University’s Department of Chemical Engineering.

Spanning both explanations of fundamentals quantum principles and emerging technologies applicable to a multitude of commercial applications, the article is an outstanding review for both experts and novices alike.

QMSI is excited to be hosting the 2024 Quantum Engineering & Science Opportunities Workshop, a free two-day workshop exploring quantum science, technologies, and engineering, on October 12th and 13th, available to all Northeastern students and intended for upper-level undergraduates and graduate students.

Check out the 2024 QuESO Program for more details and Register as soon as possible.

The 2024 QuESO Workshop will introduce quantum systems and provide hands-on experience working with various quantum technologies – important emerging class of technologies which use the unique properties of quantum systems to enable new capabilities, such as new types of computation, sensing, and other functionalities.