Department of Physics

Professors Yuping Huang (Physics) and Henry Du (Chemical Engineering and Materials Science) have been tapped by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to join a multi-university effort to detect and degrade PFA and PFO chemicals in new ways that could cost less — and require far less energy consumption.

PFAS and PFOS ("forever chemicals") are harmful compounds incorporated in industrial and consumer products that have infiltrated food and water supplies, posing serious threats to human health. Some of these chemicals can persist for decades or more in the environment, and studies suggest they may cause or exacerbate cancer, liver damage, fertility issues and a host of other health conditions.

Stevens’ role will be to leverage technologies from its quantum and materials science labs to co-develop innovative detection platforms and novel filtering systems with the partner universities’ teams.

The group’s proposed SENSE-PFAS system will include a suite of technologies. Specially designed and functionalized silver nanoparticles provide sites for robust adsorption and sensitive detection of PFAS chemicals.

Once detected, the next challenge will be to render PFAS safer for disposal. Certain graphene- and iron-based nanocompounds, printed into super-thin layers of sheets, have recently demonstrated to help degrade PFAS into fluoride, acetate and other less harmful substances by breaking apart the PFAS chemicals’ strong carbon-fluorine bonds through catalytic reactions.

Igor Pikovski, an assistant professor in Stevens’ Department of Physics, has conceived how to detect gravitons – the hypothetical particle thought to carry the force of gravity. The detection of gravitons has so far been considered impossible. His team recently received notoriety for their progress toward devising such an experiment in Quanta Magazine.

The article, titled “It Might Be Possible to Detect Gravitons After All,” features Pikovski and global opinion about his proposed experiment. Pikovski’s idea was to look for the emission or absorption of single gravitons by monitoring how energy changes in discrete steps in large resonators, such as a 15-kilogram bar of beryllium. When cooling it to its minimum possible temperature, a passing gravitational wave will interact with the device, and deposit energy in this process. A quantized event caused by the gravitational wave is witnessed when exactly one quanta of energy, with discrete energy given by Einstein’s formula E=hf, is absorbed and confirmed. Pikovski’s research also shows that quantum sensing of energy is essential, and that known gravitational wave sources, such as from neutron-star-mergers, could produce the needed single-graviton events.

“It’s a very original proposal and well thought-out,” said Frank Wilczek, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist at MIT.

Read the eye-opening article: https://www.quantamagazine.org/it-might-be-possible-to-detect-gravitons-after-all-20241030/

The original publication: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-51420-8

Igor Pikovski, assistant professor of physics at Stevens Institute of Technology, was recently selected to participate in NASA’s Fundamental Physics Program for his proposal “Atomic quantum networks on curved space-time." This project will study how quantum theory on curved space-time might be tested — which has never been achieved before.

Einstein’s theory of general relativity is well-tested, and many aspects of this theory have been confirmed with experiments both on the ground and in space. However, the interface between general relativity and quantum mechanics remains completely unexplored, highlighting one of the main challenges of modern physics.

From a theoretical perspective, Pikovski will show how quantum networks in space can be used to study general relativity. The project will focus on networks of “cold atoms” — that is, ultracold atoms that approach a temperature of absolute zero, which can be thought of as cold-trapped systems that exhibit quantum phenomena on a macroscopic scale. Pikovski wants to see how these cold atoms can be interlinked in space through quantum entanglement — and how that could enable the first experimental tests of the interface between the two theories.

Stevens Institute of Technology has secured a five year contract with a $15 million ceiling aimed at revolutionizing the applications of quantum technologies in practical, real-world scenarios. The project, funded by the U.S. Army, focuses on bridging the gap between laboratory demonstrations and field deployable systems.

Traditionally, demonstrations of quantum advantages have been confined to laboratory settings, creating a significant disparity between theoretical advancements and practical applications in the field. In this project, Stevens will bridge this gap, by researching, studying and developing materials, devices and technologies that can seamlessly integrate quantum capabilities into everyday devices.

At the heart of this project, led by Yuping Huang, professor of physics, lies the development of a cutting-edge computing platform for quantum information processing and artificial intelligence (AI). Unlike conventional AI systems relying on graphics processing units, Stevens is pioneering the use of hybrid photonics and microelectronics neural networks. By harnessing nanophononics and quantum optics circuits, Stevens aims to significantly reduce power consumption and eliminate the heat generated during AI computations. This innovative approach not only enhances efficiency but also paves the way for practical applications of AI in diverse fields.

Read the full story at www.stevens.edu/PracticalQuantum