Two students observing an experiment in a dark Physics lab.

Current Projects

In addition to grant sponsored research and coordinated research on individual or small-group levels, the CQSE is executing the following projects as a team.

Stevens' Quantum Campus

Transformative Quantum Technology

Next-generation technology based on quantum photonics promises to transform our society in a multitude of domains: cyber security, financial engineering, renewable energy, defense, biology, medicine, big data, etc.

In recent years, we have witnessed encouraging progress in theoretical and laboratory development of quantum photonic systems and techniques, whose results have heralded a range of robust applications in industry and defense, including secure communications, remote sensing, and metrology.

Fueled by this prospect, there has been focused support from both the governmental and industrial sectors across the continent for studying and developing practical quantum photonics technology and devices. Yet, major breakthroughs must be made, mostly in the areas of engineering, before compact, robust, and resilient quantum devices and systems can be mass produced and deployed.


Stevens quantum campus map.

Stevens' Quantum Campus Project

The “Stevens Quantum Campus” project is commissioned to promote innovative quantum engineering and technology through carefully structured synergy among faculty and students across disparate disciplines. The Stevens Quantum Campus will provide a multiscale testbed for:

  • Analyzing and testing new quantum devices and techniques

  • Identifying and addressing critical challenges facing quantum technology transition

  • Stimulating system engineering research on complex quantum networks

  • Bridge quantum research with industrial R&D and facilitate entrepreneurship and technology commercialization

  • Create broader impact and promote Stevens to be a world’s topmost institute in quantum engineering, where students enjoy access to and take part in creating transformative technology of tomorrow

Research Outcomes

Started in 2017 as part of a six-year strategic center growth plan, the Quantum Campus project has already produced major developments in areas of collaborative research, education, and outreach, with highlights including:

representation of big data analytics

Established Lab for Quantum Informatics in Finance

In conjunction with the Hanlon Financial Systems Lab, the Laboratory for Quantum Informatics in Finance introduces quantum technology to the financial sector, aiming at creating disruptive techniques and systems for secure transfer of sensitive data, simulation of stochastic financial processes, pricing, and more.

Physics faculty and students in the Stevens library

Creation of a Hybrid Quantum Communications Network Across the Stevens Campus

A quantum communication testbed was built on the campus connecting the Burchard Building, the Lawrence T. Babbio, Jr. Center for Business and Technology Management, and the Samuel C. Williams Library through fiber optical cables and free space. It utilizes entangled photons in high-dimensional Hilbert space and a robust design to achieve high data rates and high resilience against channel disturbances. It is an open platform for collaborative research and development where new ideas and protocols are conceived, validated, improved, and commercialized.

students with controller and robot in a Stevens lab

Introduction of Quantum Corner

A quantum corner is now constructed in Williams Library, featuring a quantum receiver hosted in a transparent enclosure, a messaging terminal based on quantum technology and educational materials on quantum physics and technology. The creation of an online, public, trusted source of quantum random numbers will provide student and faculty users at Stevens fast data streams of authenticated random numbers whose randomness originates in the fundamental laws of quantum physics. The novelty will be on simultaneously generations over multiple channels, each of which can be operated either independently or in a custom correlation. In addition, the source will be capable of creating colored noise with custom spectra, covering both Markovian and non-Markovian regimes. Such a resource will prove extremely useful for numeric simulations of physical, financial and engineering processes on campus.

Graphs superimposed on city skyline

Identification of Computational Finance Problems Suitable for Quantum Computing Solutions

Identifying which computational finance problems are well suited for quantum computing solutions consists of matching critical modeling issues such as improved credit rating methodologies and real-time options risk management to appropriate computational finance techniques that are natural fits for the current generation of quantum chips.