The Fantastic Four: Open Quantum Initiative Undergraduate Fellows at Argonne Share Their Research Experiences

Newswise — Four students talk about their work developing quantum technologies and how they’re excited to be part of the quantum revolution.

Over the summer, as part of the Open Quantum Initiative (OQI) Undergraduate Fellowship, 17 undergraduate students participated in quantum-science research projects hosted at multiple institutions across the Midwest.

The OQI is a group of researchers, educators and leaders in the Chicago Quantum Exchange that champions diversity, equity and inclusion in quantum information science (QIS). The goal of the OQI Fellowship is to expand the quantum workforce into a more diverse and inclusive community by helping undergraduate students from a broad variety of backgrounds gain hands-on experience.

Four OQI undergraduates spent their summer at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory developing QIS technologies. Three of the students contributed specifically to research at Q-NEXT, a DOE National Quantum Information Science Research Center led by Argonne.

Here’s what they had to say about their OQI summer experiences:

Bonde Borca

School: Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Major: Electrical engineering, nanoengineering 
Anticipated graduation date: Spring 2026
OQI advisor: Nazar Delegan
Contributed to Q-NEXT research

Q: What is the focus of your OQI research?

A: We grow diamonds and then, in combination with other processes, create something called nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers. This process relies on creating vacancies, which are made when we displace one of the carbon atoms in the diamond crystal. Then we allow these vacancies to associate themselves with nitrogen atoms that we introduce into the diamond. NV centers in diamond are useful as a quantum technological platform because they allow us to control and read quantum states at room temperature. This makes them useful for quantum sensing.

Q: What is your role?

A: My current role involves the growth of the diamonds and certain NV synthesis steps, as well as characterization of the growths. I clean the equipment and ensure that it is free from contaminants or anything else that may stop the diamonds from growing smoothly or in the way we want for our work. I also take pictures of the samples to ensure that there are no specks of dust or any other crystal defects. Otherwise, the diamond crystal is no longer usable because error from the dust will propagate throughout the entire growth of the diamond.

Q: What have you gained from the OQI experience?

A: Coming from a smaller school, we don’t really have the same resources as a national lab, so getting to see and use the various machines has been incredible. Seeing a dilution refrigerator in person was awesome. One of my favorite parts has been the networking. Our student cubicle is next to the coffee station, so it’s been great getting to meet various researchers and talking to them about their projects. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed getting to meet passionate individuals in the same field that I’m interested in.

Q: What new perspectives do you have about QIS?

A: My perspective on QIS has broadened tremendously. Before coming here, quantum seemed like a black box, and I wasn’t quite sure of the possibilities. Through this experience, I’ve realized that there’s a lot to do in this area, and it’s helped me figure out what I’m passionate about and to start organizing my thoughts and plans for the future.

Q: What’s next for you?

A: My current plan is to pursue a Ph.D. in QIS and engineering. I’m leaning toward studying the growth or fabrication of materials.

Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of research?

A: In my free time, I enjoy working out. The routine of it is something I find fun, and it helps keep my mind off work. There’s a gym on the Argonne site, and I usually try to go after I finish the work in the lab. Besides that, I enjoy video gaming, especially with friends.

Q: Any last thoughts?

A: For anyone out there who would like to do something but doesn’t know how to start or how to get into a specific field, the best thing to do is to start making connections with people in that field and figure out the opportunities. It’s easy to say, ​“I’ll figure this out later,” but it’s very important to try to figure it out now. Don’t keep pushing things off. Try to make something out of the current opportunities you have.

Carissa Ellen Kiehl

School: Carthage College
Major: Computer science, physics; minors in math and business administration
Anticipated graduation date: Spring 2025
OQI advisor: Yi Li

Q: What is the focus of your OQI research?

A: In our proposed quantum systems, we study the magnetic excitations, called magnons, for their potential in quantum computing and quantum sensing. Magnons are wave-like signals in a magnet and can be used to develop new functionality in quantum computing. Our focus is to study how magnons can be used for carrying information over long distances. We’re also studying how to build a superconducting circuit that can efficiently convert magnons to microwaves for delivering quantum information.

Q: What is your role?

A: My role is to measure the microwave properties of two magnetic thin film devices: one that operates at room temperature and the other at superconducting temperatures. My experiment uses a piece of equipment called a vector network analyzer to measure the microwave transmission spectrum of the magnon devices. I write computer programs, operate microwave measurements and do analysis based on the data from the magnetic devices.

Q: What have you gained from the OQI experience?

A: Going into this OQI fellowship, I didn’t really know anything quantum. I’d taken a modern physics class, but that was it. Originally, I thought about how quantum computing seemed like the perfect fit for both of my majors, since they are computer science and physics, but now that I’m working more in QIS, I’ve learned that there are so many different areas to work on in quantum. For example, I met other people in OQI, and they’re working on writing quantum algorithms. I really enjoyed the IBM trip, where a scientist gave a talk on the architecture of a quantum computer. It helped me better understand the concepts of quantum entanglement and coherence, as well as the broader context in which quantum computing fits.

Q: What new perspectives do you have about QIS?

A: The OQI experience has given me the knowledge of what this field can really be and made me excited to go into it. I noticed that other OQI fellows were similar to me, where we didn’t know a lot at the beginning, but everyone is really passionate and ready to learn a lot. It’s been great seeing how there are so many more options in the field than simply quantum computing. My confidence has grown from operating all this equipment and achieving the results from analyzed data.

Q: What’s next for you?

A: If you asked me a year ago, I would have said, ​“I’m going to work in industry right after college.” But now I feel like this summer has flipped that 180 degrees. I’ve been looking at both master’s and Ph.D. programs, specifically in quantum information.

Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of research?

A: I’ve been involved in orchestra most of my life; I’ve been playing the viola since third grade. I still play in my college orchestra as the principal violist. I started teaching myself to play guitar, which has been fun, because you can play and sing along. I also enjoy rock climbing; my main job on the Carthage campus is working at the Rock Wall as an instructor, helping with safety when people are climbing.

Q: Any last thoughts?

A: I’ve always been interested in a range of different topics and fields, going back to physics, computer science and business. These are all separate fields, and I’ve never homed in on quantum until now. Knowing topics outside of science is very valuable for a career in the future because you’re able to have a more generalist approach, giving you a broad perspective, which is important for research. Of course, this may not apply to everyone, as some are better in specialized positions, but my current perspective is it’s good to be more of a generalist.

Wanda Lindquist

School: Illinois Wesleyan University
Major: Mathematics, physics
Anticipated graduation date: Spring 2026
OQI advisor: Supratik Guha
Contributed to Q-NEXT research

Q: What is the focus of your OQI research?

A: My lab group works on the development, growth and characterization of thin film quantum materials to use for the eventual creation of quantum repeater technologies. Quantum repeaters allow information to be sent through a quantum network without loss. We focus on oxides and add the element erbium into these materials to make quantum devices that emit signals.

Q: What is your role?

A: I work on growing the thin film, which we do via a technique called molecular beam epitaxy.

Q: What have you gained from the OQI experience?

A: It’s been really cool to be able to work on things in an experimental setting. In a class setting, it’s typical to focus more on the theory because it may not be possible to work on the tactile things. Getting to work in the lab and seeing and holding the crystals that we produce adds another layer of connection when learning about a topic. Coming to a national lab, I was able to see quantum physics in a real-life, cutting-edge setting. I feel very lucky to see professional laboratory methodology up close.

Q: What new perspectives do you have about QIS?

A: Before this experience, I was mainly focused on quantum computing and qubits, but now I’ve had the opportunity to see that there are so many different applications within quantum, like quantum sensing or quantum memory. For example, during our OQI fellowship, we went to New York and met with people from JPMorgan Chase. Initially, you’d think, ​“Why do they need quantum physicists for a finance company?” It’s because quantum has applications in so many areas. JPMorgan is researching various quantum algorithms because it needs people to create efficient algorithms for finance modeling. My perspective on QIS has broadened because I realized you don’t necessarily need to be computing to do research in quantum.

Q: What’s next for you?

A: I’m excited to go back to Illinois Wesleyan to help grow quantum engagement on campus. Last year, we founded a club called Quantum Technology Engineers. With my OQI experience, I look forward to encouraging others to learn more about the field. I’m also a teacher’s assistant, so I look forward to sharing my experience to show others what they can do in QIS.

Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of research?

A: I’m really into history, specifically ancient roman politics and religion, which were very intertwined. It’s very interesting to track the changes that happened over the course of the republic and empire, as Rome expanded and absorbed other cultures. The Romans preserved elements of the cultures they conquered, so by the time the empire fell, their religious system had evolved into a more complex system.

Q: Any last thoughts?

A: I am so grateful to everyone at the CQE who made this fellowship possible, especially those behind the scenes. It was a really amazing experience that I’m sure took a lot of work to curate, so I am very thankful for that.

Zoe Denn Zuro

School: University of Illinois Chicago
Major: Engineering physics
Anticipated graduation date: Spring 2026
OQI advisor: Stephan Hruszkewycz
Contributed to Q-NEXT research

Q: What is the focus of your OQI research?

A: We look at samples, typically diamond, under a laser. Diamonds can have defects called NV centers, which have applications in quantum computing and quantum sensing. The centers are randomly distributed in the diamond sample. If we can map the photoluminescence of the sample, we can figure out where the defects are located. Photoluminescence happens when you shine a laser at the NV centers: The laser light excites the electrons, and when the electrons lose that excitation energy, they emit red photons, particles of light. We’re collecting those red photons to see where the NV centers are.

Q: What is your role?

A: I’ve been coding the stage that moves the diamond sample under the laser. My work involves imaging the photoluminescence of the diamond samples by creating a mapping system with a stage. The code moves the sample left, right, back and forth. I also installed the stage into the optics table and got everything working.

Q: What have you gained from the OQI experience?

A: I’ve gained a lot of confidence. Usually, I would have been really nervous to do an interview like this, but now I feel almost no nervousness, because throughout the fellowship, I’ve had the experience of simply talking to more people about quantum. I’m a lot more confident. I’ve started thinking more about my future, and I am glad that I learned what it’s like to work in a place like this. My favorite part has been meeting all the people that work here because it makes researchers seem less distant when you meet them and realize that they’re regular people working at a national laboratory.

Q: What new perspectives do you have about QIS?

A: I came in knowing almost nothing, so simply learning what I know now — that was all new information. I learned how much information about quantum is open source on the internet for anyone interested in learning on their own. I learned that even if you don’t know something, you shouldn’t be afraid of throwing yourself in.

Q: What’s next for you?

A: After this program, I’m going to try to get more involved in things at my school. I was a bit more nervous back then. I want to try to use the confidence I’ve received to help do other things. I’ve started considering a Ph.D., but I’d also like to experience other research opportunities before deciding on what area to pursue for graduate school.

Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of research?

A: I’m a very creative person. I like to do theater, so in my free time I volunteer at a children’s theater, where I help paint the sets and the backgrounds and do other tasks.

Q: Any last thoughts?

A: I was really nervous to start this program, and my dad told me, ​“You’re going to be crying when it’s over because you’ll not want it to end.” I didn’t believe him, but now I believe him slightly more. It’s been a lot better than I originally thought it was going to be, and it changed my perspective on a lot of things. I never considered getting a Ph.D., and now I feel overall more confident. When people mention doing quantum research, it is a lot less alien, and I feel like, ​“Yeah, I can do it.”

About Q-NEXT

Q-NEXT is a U.S. Department of Energy National Quantum Information Science Research Center led by Argonne National Laboratory. Q-NEXT brings together world-class researchers from national laboratories, universities and U.S. technology companies with the goal of developing the science and technology to control and distribute quantum information. Q-NEXT collaborators and institutions have established two national foundries for quantum materials and devices, develop networks of sensors and secure communications systems, establish simulation and network test beds, and train the next-generation quantum-ready workforce to ensure continued U.S. scientific and economic leadership in this rapidly advancing field. For more information, visit https://​q​-next​.org/.

Argonne National Laboratory seeks solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology by conducting leading-edge basic and applied research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit https://​ener​gy​.gov/​s​c​ience.