SCHUMER ANNOUNCES $2 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDS FOR PHOTONICS RESEARCH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER
National Science Foundation Grant Will Fund Ground-Breaking Integrated Quantum Photonics Research Project
U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced $2,000,000 in federal funding for photonics research at the University of Rochester. The funding was allocated through the National Science Foundation (NSF). These funds will allow researchers at the University to further investigate challenges in quantum photonics. This research is aimed at transforming the capacity of information processing for secure communication, metrology, sensing, and advanced computing. The proposed research is expected to result in a new class of device technologies and will open up new opportunities for the AIM Photonics Center in Rochester. Additionally it will generate educational materials for the industry and new, exciting fields of study for students from grades K-12 to graduate level. With this funding, the University of Rochester will also establish and sustain its creative efforts in broadening the participation from underrepresented and economically disadvantageous groups in the field of photonics. Finally, the University will incorporate educational efforts with the workforce development arm of the AIM Photonics Academy.
“The AIM Photonics center in Rochester is already becoming a game-changer in the field of optics and photonics research and development. These funds will allow the University of Rochester – one of the world’s leading research universities and a hub of scientific innovation – to add to this burgeoning and job-creating field,” said Senator Schumer. “This funding will support our U of R researchers’ crucial work in the field of photonics, so we can spur new innovation and opportunities for the Rochester workforce at AIM Photonics. This is the perfect opportunity to invest in the kind of research and innovation that is going keep our domestic workforce and industry globally competitive with other nations in science and technology.”
The proposed research is expected to result in a new class of device technologies and will open up new opportunities for the AIM Photonics Center in Rochester by generating educational materials for the industry and new, exciting fields of study for students from grades K-12 to graduate level. With this funding, the University of Rochester will also establish and sustain its creative efforts in broadening the participation from underrepresented and economically disadvantageous groups in the field of photonics. Finally, the University will incorporate educational efforts with the workforce development arm of the AIM Photonics Academy.
The UR project will explore and develop integrated hybrid quantum photonic circuits on a silicon carbide (SiC) platform in order to achieve high-fidelity and energy-efficient quantum information processing that can seamlessly link with existing fiber-optic communication technology. The ultimate goal is to realize a versatile chip-scale multifunctional integrated hybrid quantum photonic processor that can operate at room temperature and form the fundamental building blocks to construct a scalable integrated quantum photonic interconnect.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and other institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 48,000 competitive proposals for funding and makes about 12,000 new funding awards. NSF also awards about $626 million in professional and service contracts yearly.
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