Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) plays a critical role in the Tennessee Quantum Materials Workforce Development and Training (TN-QuMat) program, collaborating with Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), Tennessee State University (TSU), Fisk University, and Meharry Medical College. Thomas Maier, distinguished research staff and section head in advanced computing methods for physical sciences at ORNL, emphasized the initiative will build research capacity and a skilled workforce essential to maintaining U.S. leadership in quantum science. The collaborative model leverages ORNL’s research and the expertise of local universities to provide opportunities for students and trainees.
The TN-QuMat program is structured around three interconnected research areas: advanced many-body theory of disordered quantum systems; first-principles simulations of topologically nontrivial materials; and the experimental synthesis and characterization of low-dimensional quantum structures. Trainees will gain hands-on experience using ORNL’s leadership-class computational and experimental facilities, including the world’s fastest supercomputer for open science and advanced neutron scattering capabilities.
Tom Berlijn, ORNL senior research scientist in the Nanomaterials Theory Institute, stated that one skill being developed is training students to use density functional theory-based simulations to bridge the gap between experiments and modeling of quantum materials. The program also incorporates mentorship from ORNL scientists and professional development opportunities for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers.
Through the TN-QuMat initiative, students from partnering institutions, including TSU, will have access to world-class experimental facilities and mentorship at ORNL, preparing them for leadership roles in quantum materials research and technology. Richard Mu, TSU professor and co-director of the TSU TIGER Institute, highlighted that this collaboration will provide access to these resources.
The TN-QuMat program also includes the expansion of the MTSU AMPLIFY Scholars undergraduate training program, offering students yearlong research experiences and summer internships at ORNL. This initiative aims to increase participation of diverse STEM groups in quantum science and build a robust, interdisciplinary skilled talent pipeline.
Leading Research Efforts
John Villanova, assistant professor in the MTSU Department of Physics and Astronomy, will lead the topological materials simulation research thrust, asserting that new and complex materials are key to leveraging the properties of quantum physics for advanced technologies, and students require the skills to contribute to these developments. Richard Mu, TSU professor, co-director of the TSU TIGER Institute and head of the TSUs Quantum and Multifunctional Materials (Q-M) and Photonics and Quantum Information (PhotonicsQ) Laboratories, leads the experimental synthesis and characterization thrust, stating that at the TSU TIGER Institute, students will be trained in advanced materials synthesis and characterization techniques, including pulsed laser, pulsed electron-beam, thermal, sputtering, and electrohydrodynamic depositions, as well as wet chemistry, optical and laser spectroscopy, and structural analysis. He further noted that collaboration with ORNL will provide students access to world-class experimental facilities and mentorship, preparing them for leadership roles in quantum materials research and technology.
Ning Zhang, Fisk University assistant professor, stated that the DOE RENEW grant provides a remarkable opportunity to spearhead a quantum material workforce development and training program, and that partnering with MTSU, TSU, Meharry and Oak Ridge National Laboratory will foster the next generation of quantum researchers at Fisk University. Hanna Terletska, associate professor at MTSU, asserted that by bridging the expertise at the partnering institutions with ORNL’s capabilities, TN-QuMat will serve as a model for regional quantum initiatives and build a U.S.-based robust, interdisciplinary skilled talent pipeline.
Increasing STEM Group Participation
A key aspect of TN-QuMat is its comprehensive workforce development pipeline, designed to increase participation of different STEM groups in quantum science, including the expansion of the successful MTSU AMPLIFY Scholars undergraduate training program, offering students yearlong research experiences and summer internships at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Graduate students and postdoctoral researchers will receive intensive research training, mentorship from ORNL scientists and professional development opportunities.
Hanna Terletska, associate professor at Middle Tennessee State University, asserted that by bridging the expertise at the partnering institutions with ORNL’s capabilities, TN-QuMat will serve as a model for regional quantum initiatives and build a U.S.-based robust, interdisciplinary skilled talent pipeline.