UCF Quantum Initiative

Funded Research Projects (current)

CAREER: Correlated Topological Phases in Rare-earth-based Compounds, National Science Foundation, 1847962. PI: M. Neupane (Physics). Amount: $695K. Period: 02/2019-01/2026.

Novel Light-Matter Interactions in Topologically Non-Trivial Weyl Semimetal Structures and Systems. MURI Airforce Office of Scientific Research. Amount: $6M, PI: M. Khajavikhan (USC); Co-PI: M. Neupane (Physics) and five others. Neupane’s portion: $800K Period: Period: 09/20-09/2026.

CAREER: Probing Nematic Superconductivity in Topological Semimetals, National Science Foundation, DMR-1944975. PI: Y. Nakajima (Physics). Amount: $558,706. Period: 07/2020-06/2026.

Molecular beam epitaxy grown topological quantum material films for ultrafast light-matter interactions, Air Force Office of Scientific Research DURIP. PI: M. Neupane. Amount: $420K. Period: 09/01/2022 to 08/31/2024.

Light-matter interaction in altermagnetic quantum materials, Department of Energy. PI: M. Neupane (Physics). Amount: $350K. Period: 06/2023 to 05/2026.

Collaborative Research: Advancing Quantum Education by Adaptively Addressing Misconceptions in Virtual Reality, National Science Foundation IIS 2302816. PI: R. McMahan (VA Tech); Senior Personnel: E. Mucciolo. Amount for UCF: $58k. Period: 08/2023-07/2026.
 
Towards a Programmable Plasmonic Information Processor based on Graphene, 2D Materials, and Rare-Earth Atoms, Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), FA9550-23-1-0472. PI: M. Leuenberger (Nanocenter, Physics, CREOL); Co-PI: Dirk R. Englund (MIT). Amount: $2M. Period: 07/2023-06/2028.
 

ExpandQISE: Track 2: Leveraging synthetic degrees of freedom for quantum state engineering in photonics chips, NSF, Former PI: A. B. Khanikaev; Co-PI: A. Blanco-Redondo and three others. Amount: $1.2M. Period: 2024-2026.

Leveraging synthetic degrees of freedom for quantum state engineering in photonic chips, National Science Foundation, award number 2328993. First PI: Vinod Menon (CUNY); Co-PI: A. Blanco-Redondo (CREOL). Amount for UCF: $1,463,574. Period: 10/2023-09/2028.

Sources of Quantum Light in Hollow-Core Fibers, University of Central Florida, Seed Funding. First PI: A. Blanco-Redondo (CREOL). Amount for UCF: $ $49,537.00. Period: 02/2024-02/2026.

Mid-Infrared Topological Metaphotonics, AFRL CLAWS, PI: A. B. Khanikaev (CREOL). Amount: $780k. Period: 2024-2026.

Topological Photonics and Structured Modes for Robust and Tailored Light-Matter Interactions, ONR, PI: A. B. Khanikaev. Amount: $317k. Period: 2024-2026.

Spin Quantum Dynamics in Molecular Magnets, National Science Foundation, DMR-333333. PI: E. del Barco (Physics). Amount: $729k. Period: 05/2024 – 04/2028.

Magnetic Topological Insulators for Lossless Monostructural Spintronics, W. M. Keck Foundation. PI: E. del Barco (Physics). Amount: $1.3M. Period: 07/2024 – 06/2027.

High-index Hybrid-mode Nanophotonic Infrared Detectors, Sandia National Laboratories. PI: L. Nordin (MSE/CREOL). Amount: $450K. Period: 07/2024-06/2027.

PREM: Center for Quantum Material Innovations and Educational Excellence (CQ-MIEE), National Science Foundation, award number 2424976. First PI: Saiful Khondaker (Physics). Co-PI: A. Blanco-Redondo (CREOL) and others. Amount for UCF: $4,200,000. Period: 09/2024-08/2030.

EAGER: Designing Elemental Devices for Molecular Electronics –Molecular Tunnel Junctions, National Science Foundation, ECCS-333333. PI: E. del Barco (Physics). Amount: $273k. Period: 09/2024 – 08/2026.

Ferrimagnetic Materials for Fast Nanoscale Information Processing, Air Force Office of Scientific Research. PI: E. del Barco (Physics). Amount: $2.25M. Period: 09/2024 – 08/2028.

Collaborative Research: GCR: Toward a Physics-Inspired Approach to Computation on Encrypted Data, National Science Foundation, award OIE-242488. PIs: A. Ruckenstein (Boston University), E. Mucciolo (UCF). Co-PIs: C. Chamon (Purdue University), R. Canetti (Boston University), and T. Riley (Cornell University). Amount $1.120M (Phase I). Period: 09/2024-08/2026.

PREM Center for Quantum Material Innovations and Educational Excellence (CQ-MIEE), National Science Foundation, 2424976. PI: S. Khondaker (NSTC); Co-PIs: M. Neupane (Physics) and four others. Amount: $4.2M. Neupane’s portion: $800k. Period: 09/2024-08/2030.

Renewal: The Simons Collaboration in Mathematics and Physical Sciences: Harnessing Universal Symmetry Concepts for Extreme Wave Phenomena, The Simons Foundation, Co-PI: A. B. Khanikaev (CREOL). Amount for UCF: $450k. Period: 09/2024-08/2027.

Quantum Entanglement in Frequency Combs, UCF/Office of Research. PI: Y. Salamin (CREOL). Amount: $12k. Period: 02/2025-11/2025.

High-speed and high-extinction ratio optical switching for cavity quantum Tomography, Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award from ORAU. PI: Y. Salamin (CREOL). Amount: $10k. Period: 08/2025-07/2026.

Squeezing-enhanced homodyne detection with traveling-wave optical parametric amplifiers in lithium niobate nanophotonics – Phase 1, DARPA, PI: R. Nehra (U. Massachusetts); Co-PI: S. Fathpour (CREOL). Amount: $450k. Period: 08/2025-01/2026.

Effect of lattice distortion in electronic properties of kagome metals, National Science Foundation, 2518800. PI: M. Neupane (Physics). Amount: $355K. Period: 09/2025-08/2028.

Symmetry Engineered Photonics Quantum Nano-Materials for Generation and Control of Classical and Quantum Light, DOD Army, PI: A. B. Khanikaev (CREOL). Amount: $1M. Period: 03/2025-03/2029

Extreme Electro-Momentum Metamaterials for Directional Sensing and Phonon Transport, DOD MURI, PI: Andrea Alù; Co-PI: A. B. Khanikaev (CREOL). Amount for UCF $1.25M. Period: 08/2025-08/20230.

NSF-AFRL REFLEQTS: Floquet-engineered polaritonic quantum states for infrared single photon detection and sensing, NSF-ARFL, PI: A. B. Khanikaev; Co-PIs: Andrea Alù (CUNY), Qiang Lin (U. Rochester), and Bo Zhen (U. Penn). Amount: $2M. Period: 08/2025-08/2028.

Nanophotonic Mid-wave Infrared Avalanche Photodiodes, Air Force Office of Scientific Research. PI: L. Nordin (MSE/CREOL). Amount: $450K. Period: 01/2026-01/2029.