To study quantum, come to Chicago

As a computer and physics undergraduate student at the University of Pennsylvania, José A. Méndez did not originally intend to study leading-edge quantum technology. But after taking a course on quantum processors, Méndez found himself hooked on the promise of quantum computing.  

To learn more, he knew he needed to go to graduate school. A native of Caracas, Venezuela, he searched around the United States for the best programs and read the latest research papers in the field. He noticed a trend: the top papers were written by the same researchers who were clustered in certain regions. 

“Chicago was clearly a quantum hub,” he said. “I decided this was the place to be.” 

As a PhD student in the labs of Prof. David Awschalom and Asst. Prof. Hannes Bernien, Méndez is now working at the forefront of quantum technology, focusing on both emerging quantum networks and developing new kinds of qubits, the basic building blocks of quantum computers. 

UChicago is part of a 124-mile long network of optical fiber that can transmit quantum information between the University of Chicago, Argonne National Laboratory, and four other nodes throughout the area. Because quantum information cannot be cloned without being destroyed, this network provides a testbed for ultra-secure communication.  

On the network, Méndez is studying quantum key distribution (QKD), a communication protocol that uses quantum mechanics to ensure information remains secure. In particular, he collaborates with theorists in the Jiang Group to explore ways of combining QKD with traditional cryptographic protocols. The goal is to create a hybrid protocol that offers security or efficiency advantages over the comprising parts. 

Méndez is also studying synthetic molecules that could potentially be used as qubits. Working with chemists, Méndez is characterizing different qubit molecule candidates to see how well they can encode or read out quantum information. One application of these qubits would be ultrasensitive sensors that could be used in a wide range of applications, including seismology, atomic clocks, gravitational wave detectors, and neuroimaging. 

“Jose is an extraordinarily creative experimentalist who came to us with strong interests in computer science as well as in the foundations of quantum science, such as entanglement,” Awschalom said. “With little encouragement, he quickly realized that the growing area of quantum engineering enables him to pursue both interests. His keen curiosity and passion for discovery-driven research enables him to lead a multidisciplinary project aimed at atomically engineering quantum states with molecules and deploy them to distribute quantum entanglement for secure city-wide computer networking.” 

Co-advised by Prof. Hannes Bernien, Méndez has found an open culture and cohort at UChicago, where ideas flow freely. 

“I’ve had extremely good experiences in having a very good and very connected group of people working together,” Méndez said. “There’s a very collaborative feeling. Even at Friday socials or during coffee breaks, I get to see so many people who work on different research, and I can pick their brains. Often I just come up with solutions to problems when I talk to someone who works in something completely different. That’s something I’ve really enjoyed here.”