Researchers at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and the Florida State University-headquartered National High Magnetic Field Laboratory have designed new quantum computing architecture that uses magnetic levitation to smooth over design flaws in the intricate bits necessary to run a quantum computer.

Quantum bits, or qubits, can be as small as a few nanometers, and manufacturing them inevitably introduces random flaws onto their surface. By using superconducting magnets to levitate neon particles, the research addresses a challenge in electron-on-neon qubit devices: the tendency for electrons to become trapped by random tiny bumps on the neon surface, making them function unpredictably.

The study, published in the American Physical Society journal PRX Quantum, could help pave the way for more reproducible and scalable quantum computing technologies.

“Instead of hoping that the right nanoscale feature appears in the right place, we want to decide where each electron qubit sits,” said study co-author Wei Guo, a professor at Florida State University, the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, or MagLab.  “Magnetic levitation gives us a way to place a clean neon carrier above the chip, while the chip still provides the circuitry needed to control and read the qubit. In this architecture, the qubit is no longer found by chance. It is built by design.”

What they made: A new design for electron-on-neon qubits

The researchers proposed a chip design that uses superconducting loops to magnetically hold tiny solid-neon particles above the chip surface. Instead of placing a solid-neon film directly on the chip, where it can inherit roughness from the substrate underneath, the new architecture uses nearly spherical neon microparticles as carriers for electron qubits.

“A simple way to think about it is that we give the electron a tiny, clean, floating island to sit on, rather than asking it to find a good spot on a rough landscape,” said study co-author Yinghe Qi, a MagLab postdoctoral researcher. “The chip underneath still provides the microwave circuits needed to control and read the qubit.”

Why it matters: Engineering a better chip

The work opens a path toward a new class of hybrid quantum devices, where clean quantum materials are integrated directly with chip-based control circuits.

“We have not built a full quantum computer in this paper, but we showed that the essential ingredients can work together in a realistic design: clean electron confinement, tunable qubit energy levels, strong coupling to microwave circuits and a way for neighboring qubits to communicate,” Guo said.

Technological advantages

Unlike the bits in ordinary computers, which store information as 0s or 1s, qubits use the rules of quantum mechanics to process information that can represent multiple possibilities at the same time until it is measured. To build a useful quantum computer, researchers need qubits that are clean, stable, controllable and practical to arrange in large numbers on a chip — a mix of properties that is difficult to achieve.

Electron-on-neon qubits, which use a single electron held above solid neon, are a promising platform for qubit design because of their accuracy and their ability to maintain their quantum information long enough to perform calculations. The electron sits in a clean environment, while the chip underneath provides the microwave circuits needed for control and readout.

The design shown in this study preserves the advantages of these qubits while using levitation to remove the randomness of a bumpy surface. 

“The main advantage is reproducibility,” said study co-author Yiming Xing, an assistant professor in the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. “Right now, useful electron-on-neon qubits depend on random nanoscale surface features, almost like hoping the right defect appears in the right place. Our approach replaces those random traps with designed, clean neon carriers placed at intended locations on a chip. If demonstrated experimentally, this could make electron-on-neon devices more predictable, reduce unwanted charge noise and make it easier to build larger arrays of qubits.”

Future research: Building a working prototype

The researchers plan to use their design to build a working prototype of an electron-on-neon qubit.

The main components of their design — superconducting loops, microwave resonators and patterned chip structures — are compatible with fabrication methods already used in quantum-device research, which will help researchers move from design to prototype and beyond.

Collaborators and support

Co-authors on this study included FSU postdoctoral researchers Sosuke Inui and Charles Peretti. Dafei Jin, an associate professor at the University of Notre Dame, was also a co-author.

The project received support from the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory and the Florida State University Quantum Initiative. The FAMU Center for Quantum Science and Engineering supported contributions by Xing and supported the Notre Dame team through the National Science Foundation ExpandQISE grant administered by Florida A&M University.

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New FSU Quantum Initiative certificate will prepare students and professionals for careers in the rapidly expanding quantum workforce

Florida State University is launching Florida’s first formal graduate-level credential in quantum information science and engineering, opening a new pathway for students and professionals to enter one of the world’s fastest-growing technology fields. The Graduate Certificate in Quantum Science & Technology is now accepting applications for Spring 2027 enrollment.

Administered by the FSU Quantum Initiative, the interdisciplinary certificate will give graduate students and working professionals rigorous training across quantum physics, materials science, chemistry, computer science and engineering. Drawing on courses from multiple departments and two colleges — the FSU College of Arts and Sciences and the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering — the program positions FSU to help build the emerging quantum workforce vital to the nation’s technological leadership and security.

“Quantum science is reshaping the future of computing, communication, materials and national security, and Florida State University is positioning itself at the forefront of that transformation,” said FSU Vice President for Research Stacey S. Patterson. “This new graduate certificate reflects the strength of our research enterprise and our commitment to preparing students for the high-demand careers that will drive the next generation of discovery and innovation.”

Students will complete required coursework in quantum information and computing, choose from a broad selection of electives and gain access to world-class research facilities, including the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory and the new Interdisciplinary Research & Commercialization Building. The building houses cleanroom and nanofabrication facilities as well as dilution refrigerators for low-temperature quantum experiments. The FSU Quantum Initiative also is developing partnerships with leading quantum technology companies and national centers to connect students directly with career opportunities in the rapidly growing quantum industry.

“Florida State University is an ideal place for students to pursue training in quantum science and technology because of the extraordinary breadth of expertise across our campus,” said Sam Huckaba, dean of the FSU College of Arts and Sciences. “Students in this program will learn from faculty working at the cutting edge of physics, chemistry, materials science, mathematics, computer science and related fields, while also benefiting from access to world-class research facilities. That combination of talent, infrastructure and opportunity will prepare them to make meaningful contributions in a rapidly evolving field.”

FSU has made bold investments in quantum science and engineering, including hiring ten new faculty. Many of these faculty will teach new courses that will serve both their departments and interdisciplinary programs.

“The most important challenges in emerging technologies cannot be solved within the boundaries of a single discipline,” said Suvranu De, dean of the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. “This certificate reflects the strength of the partnership between the College of Arts and Sciences and the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, bringing together complementary expertise to prepare students for a future where quantum information science and engineering is transforming computing, sensing, communications, and enabling new approaches to materials discovery. It is exactly the kind of interdisciplinary collaboration needed to tackle fundamental scientific challenges and develop the quantum technologies of tomorrow.”

FSU is extending its commitment to quantum education beyond the graduate level. The university already offers introductory quantum computing courses for undergraduate and high school students, and plans are underway to develop formal programs for both groups. Together, these efforts will create a comprehensive quantum education pipeline that introduces students to the field early and supports them through advanced training.

“Quantum information science is not just a frontier for research; it is becoming a foundation for the economy of the 21st century,” said Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Michael Shatruk, director of the FSU Quantum Initiative. “With this certificate program, we are giving students in Florida the tools to be part of that future. And by reaching students at the undergraduate and high school levels, we will be planting those seeds early.” 

The FSU QIST Graduate Certificate Program is accepting applications for the Spring 2027 cohort through Oct. 1, 2026. The program is open to current FSU graduate students in relevant STEM disciplines as well as external post-baccalaureate applicants, including industry professionals seeking foundational knowledge in quantum computing, quantum communication, quantum materials and related technologies. More information and the online application are available on the program website.

About the FSU Quantum Initiative

The FSU Quantum Initiative is a cross-departmental research and education hub spanning the departments of Physics, Chemistry & Biochemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics, Materials Science & Engineering, Electrical & Computer Engineering, and Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering at Florida State University. FSU Quantum coordinates quantum science and engineering research, education, and industry partnerships across the university, with access to the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory and the Interdisciplinary Research & Commercialization Building.

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Florida State University researchers are part of an international team whose work reveals that North and South American mammals interacted before the Panamanian land bridge formed about 3 million years ago.

Professor of Geology and Environmental Science Yang Wang and geology doctoral student Chance Hannold are coauthors of a new study that challenges the long-held belief that North and South American mammals did not mix until the continents joined through an isthmus, a narrow strip that connects two larger land masses. Instead, the researchers found evidence of some North American animals clustering in present-day southern Mexico before opportunities arose to move further south beginning about 7 million years ago.

This research was published Thursday in the journal Science.

“Fossils, as well as ancient sediments and soils, provide valuable archives of past life and environmental conditions,” said Wang, who is also a faculty affiliate of the National Science Foundation-funded, FSU-headquartered National High Magnetic Field Laboratory. “By studying these natural archives, we can better understand how mammalian communities responded to past environmental changes and the processes that gave rise to present-day biodiversity patterns. This knowledge, in turn, can help us better anticipate the potential impacts of future environmental perturbations on the biosphere.”

North and South America were once isolated continents home to distinct groups of animals. Until recently, scientists believed those animals moved north and south only after the Isthmus of Panama formed about 3 million years ago. Biologists refer to this as the Great American Biotic Interchange, or GABI.

However, the new research suggests many North American mammals migrated to present-day southern Mexico and remained there in a sort of geographical holding pen until the continents moved just close enough for smaller species, including racoon-like coatis, ringtails and rodents, to travel farther south, likely by island hopping through the Caribbean or rafting on vegetation.

This suggests that intercontinental species migration began at least 4 million years before GABI. For context: At the beginning of that 4-million-year gap, early human ancestors had just genetically separated from chimpanzees, and by the end of it, the Stone Age had begun.

For this research, Wang and Hannold, a fifth-year doctoral student, conducted fieldwork in Mexico in from 2022 to 2024, collecting samples of ancient soil and fossilized tooth enamel.

“Earth’s natural processes, such as volcanism, the formation of the Isthmus of Panama, and the uplift of the Himalayas, have shaped the environments and climates in which animals, including humans, live,” Wang said. “We took our field samples back to the lab at FSU to conduct stable isotope analyses, which help identify when, where and in what conditions these animals lived, providing the environmental context for this study’s collection of fossils.”

Stable isotope analyses found evidence that the early arrival of North American mammals in Mexico was driven by the development of savanna grasslands in the region. The data revealed that C4 grasses — warm-season plants that include corn, sugarcane, switchgrass and Bermuda grass — were present in the area around 10 million years ago and became a dominant component of early horses’ diets by 5 million years ago.

“Yang’s new research is truly interdisciplinary, as it combines geological and biological evidence to investigate how geological processes created one of the great natural ecological mixing experiments of the Cenozoic Era,” said Mike Stukel, chair of the FSU Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science. “It is also fascinating to consider how these results might shed light on the current mixing experiment occurring as humans intentionally and unintentionally spread different species across the planet.”

Wang and Hannold’s work was supported by the National Science Foundation through a portion of more than $500,000 in funding for the project. The broader study was led by principal investigator Jack Tseng, an associate professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and coauthored by researchers from Stanford University, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, California, and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, as well as the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, both located in central Mexico.

To learn more about research conducted in the FSU Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science, visit eoas.fsu.edu.

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This summer, Florida State University’s Learning Systems Institute (LSI) hosted its third cohort of fellows through the BridgeUSA Ukraine Program for Resilience and Reconstruction (UPRR), further strengthening research partnerships between U.S. and Ukrainian scholars. 

The fellows, Dmytro Diadin, an associate professor at O.M. Beketov National University of Urban Economy in Kharkiv, and Oleksandra Hrytstna, associate professor and vice dean at the National University of Water and Environmental Engineering in Rivne, spent four weeks at FSU collaborating with faculty across campus. They conducted research, observed classes, developed course materials and explored the policies and culture that shape American higher education.   

This marks the third cohort of BridgeUSA UPRR fellows hosted by FSU’s Ukraine Task Force (UTF), housed within LSI. Vilma Fuentes, director of the UTF, coordinated the visit.  

“While staying here, we were really in good hands,” Diadin said. “We are very grateful to FSU’s UTF for hosting us because this ensures that we will go to Ukraine with really tangible outcomes, tangible results.” 

Hrytstna’s research focuses on water and wastewater management to support sustainable urban environments. His work also explores the potential of wastewater energy recovery as a tool for decarbonization. Diadin specializes in hydrology, water monitoring and environmental impact assessment, with extensive expertise studying groundwater and surface water systems in Eastern Ukraine.  

During their visit, the fellows worked alongside scientists at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (MagLab) to analyze groundwater samples from Ukraine and examine how the ongoing Russian invasion has affected the country’s water resources.  

“The most exciting and the most useful part for me was taking samples (of Ukrainian groundwater) and using the magnificent capabilities of the MagLab to analyze this water,” Diadin said. “This is actually the first time ever that Ukrainian water was analyzed on such magnetic instruments. So, this is the only place in the world where we can do it with such precision.” 

The collaboration also created opportunities for long-term research partnerships. Florida’s unique geology, particularly North Florida’s more than 300 documented freshwater springs, provides valuable opportunities for comparative water research.  

“I see a beautiful harmony here,” Hrytstna said. “It is a unique ecosystem in Florida, in Tallahassee. How FSU built a world-class academic campus right inside this natural paradise shows me that progress and nature can live together.” 

Both fellows said the visit strengthened relationships with FSU researchers and opened the door to future joint projects. 

“I see that we will have further cooperation on water quality and just in general water studies because in Florida you have really unique conditions of groundwater formation, groundwater pollution and groundwater use,” Diadin said. “In Ukraine we have different conditions but the impacts, the anthropogenic inputs to water and the necessity of water preservation, to ensure water quality, water safety. This is in our common tasks. So, I really see that we will cooperate on these water issues with the FSU.” 

The BridgeUSA Ukraine Program for Resilience and Reconstruction is funded by the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, with additional funding from U.S. host institutions, and administered by American Councils for International Education. The program equips professionals with the skills and expertise needed to support Ukraine’s recovery and resilience. 

“BridgeUSA provides an opportunity to meet face-to-face,” Hrytstna said. “It is important because you see your partner, your scientist colleagues and you have eye contact. In a face-to-face meeting, we can better understand each other. For me, it is a two-way bridge. It is not only the U.S. to Ukraine. It is also Ukraine to the U.S.” 

ABOUT LSI

LSI strives to lead the way in creating innovative educational solutions that seamlessly connect theory with practice. Through advanced research, we develop industry-leading methods and implementation strategies to enhance systematic learning at all levels and in all environments. For more than five decades, LSI has been committed to driving measurable improvements in the performance of both individuals and organizations. 

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As Florida State University celebrates its 175th anniversary, the milestone coincides with the national observance of America 250, offering an opportunity to reflect on how the university’s history has unfolded alongside that of the United States.

Since its founding, FSU’s evolution from a regional seminary into a preeminent public research institution has been closely connected to many of the defining events and transformations that shaped the nation.

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Researchers at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory have shown how higher magnetic fields can improve analysis of the molecules linked to Alzheimer’s disease, a finding that could aid the development of future treatments.

In a study published in Solid State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, the researchers showed how a high-magnitude magnetic field can improve the accuracy of measurements that show the chemical composition of amyloid beta fragments, small pieces of proteins that have been shown to play a critical role in Alzheimer’s disease. They were able to analyze amyloid proteins even when they were structurally complex and mixed with lipids, creating conditions that more closely resemble the human brain than traditional laboratory samples.

By better understanding the composition and structure of these molecules, scientists can design compounds that may disrupt disease progression and lead to more effective treatments.

“The current treatment plans for Alzheimer’s disease are not working well enough,” said study co-author Ayyalusamy Ramamoorthy, a professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering. “This disease follows a complex process. We are looking into the mess of molecules implicated in memory loss, investigating how they promote toxic compounds in the brain and trying to stop them.”

How it works: finding a way to block Alzheimer’s disease

Researchers are still studying the exact mechanisms that cause Alzheimer’s disease, but amyloid beta proteins are believed to play a central role in the disease. These proteins are found clumped together among neurons inside affected brains. Studies have shown them to be a good benchmark for tracking disease progression and a potential target for treatment.

By mapping the structure of amyloid beta catalyzed by lipids, researchers can develop compounds that could effectively bind to its surface and fully stop them from killing neuronal cells within the brain.

“It’s like an incredibly complex puzzle piece,” Ramamoorthy said. “We want to create another puzzle piece that can match with it and stop it from binding with something within the brain responsible for memory.”

 What they did

To find the edges of that puzzle piece, Ramamoorthy and the research team used a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer. NMR spectrometers work by placing a sample in a strong magnetic field and applying radio waves to excite atomic nuclei. By measuring how the atomic nuclei absorb and re-emit these radio waves, scientists can determine properties like the chemical composition of molecules.

Instead of clean samples, researchers analyzed amyloid beta interacting with a lipid found in the membrane of neural cells. That emulated the tangled mix of cells found within the brain.

They measured samples with a 600-megahertz spectrometer and a 1,100-megahertz spectrometer and compared the results. Researchers already knew that a higher magnetic field would enhance the spectral resolution of amyloid beta proteins. This study showed that an NMR spectrometer using a higher magnetic field could also better identify discrete parts of amyloid beta within a realistic sample.

Even though the protein-lipid mix looks chaotic overall, the improved measurements revealed distinct, well-ordered segments within the combined samples and evidence of a central core inside amyloid proteins.

“When you have these amorphous collections of different cell types, they are not well-ordered. When you try to take a picture, it looks very blurry,” Ramamoorthy said. “We were able to zoom in and get a look at the structured regions within the protein.”

Why it matters and future research

The study shows that a higher magnetic field NMR spectrometer can identify information from amyloid proteins that exist in a diverse mixture of cell types. Scientists studying Alzheimer’s disease are no longer limited to ideal samples. They can study complex mixtures and still get atomic-level clues.

The researchers plan to use the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory’s 1.5-gigahertz NMR spectrometer for future research.

“This is the only place in the world where such an ultra-high magnetic field (1.5-GHz) NMR spectrometer is available,” Ramamoorthy said. “We want to push the challenges and overcome the hurdles in developing potential drugs to treat Alzheimer’s and related diseases, and these resources are crucial for this work.”

FSU postdoctoral researcher Jhinuk Saha and University of Wisconsin researcher Thirupathi Ravula were co-authors on this study. This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIDDK), the National Science Foundation, and Florida State University. The research used NHMFL at FSU and the National Magnetic Resonance Facility at the University of Wisconsin.

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Seven distinguished faculty members from Florida State University have been elected as new members of the Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine of Florida (ASEMFL).

Membership in ASEMFL is one of the highest honors for scholars in the state, recognizing researchers who live and work in Florida and have made outstanding contributions to science, engineering and medicine nationally and globally. FSU now has 38 elected faculty members of the organization, including President Richard McCullough.

“This recognition of seven of our faculty members underscores the world-class caliber of research and scholarship taking place at Florida State University,” McCullough said. “Election to ASEMFL is a testament to their dedication, innovation, and profound impact on their respective fields. From pioneering advancements in magnetics and particle physics to revolutionary breakthroughs in healthcare technology, quantum materials, dyslexia research, and anxiety treatment, these scholars embody FSU’s commitment to academic excellence and societal impact.”

The newly elected FSU members are:

• Kathleen Amm: Amm is director of the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (National MagLab), headquartered at FSU. An FSU alumna, she is an expert in superconductivity and
  magnet technology with more than 20 years of experience leading industrial and national laboratory programs, including prior leadership at GE Research and Brookhaven National Laboratory. Her work focuses on high magnetic field science and engineering with applications in medical and energy.
• Suvranu De: De serves as the Google Endowed Dean for the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and is a professor of mechanical engineering. His pioneering research focuses on multiscale modeling, virtual reality for healthcare, noninvasive neuroimaging and artificial intelligence. He is an elected fellow of multiple professional societies, including the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.
• Jorge Piekarewicz: Piekarewicz is a a Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor in the Department of Physics whose research centers on the behavior of nuclear matter under extreme conditions of density. His work bridges the gap between terrestrial experiments and astronomical observations, using physical observables to understand the complex interior and properties of neutron stars.
• Harrison Prosper: Prosper is the Kirby W. Kemper Endowed Professor of Physics and a Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor. He is internationally recognized for his contributions to high-energy physics, particularly through his work with the Compact Muon Solenoid experiment at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider. His research has contributed to discoveries involving the gluon, top quark and the Higgs boson, as well as advancements in using Bayesian statistics and machine learning in high-energy physics analysis.
• Mike Shatruk: Shatruk is an inorganic materials chemist specializing in solid-state and molecular magnetism and the discovery of new quantum materials. As the founding director of the FSU Quantum Science Initiative, Shatruk works at the boundary between materials chemistry and physics to uncover correlations between crystal structure and magnetic properties of quantum materials. His research, supported by numerous grants, utilizes advanced X-ray and neutron scattering methods to explore intermetallic magnets, stimuli-responsive materials and molecular qubits that could revolutionize optoelectronic devices, quantum technologies, computing and medical sensing. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
• Rick Wagner: Wagner is a Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor of Psychology and holds the W. Russell and Eugenia Morcom Chair. He also serves as an associate director of the Florida Center for Reading Research. His research focuses reading acquisition and dyslexia, advancing the scientific understanding of phonological processing and reading disabilities.
• Brad Schmidt: Schmidt is a Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychology. He also directs the Anxiety and Behavioral Health Clinic at FSU. He is an internationally recognized expert on the nature, causes, treatment and prevention of anxiety psychopathology, PTSD, substance use and suicide prevention, and he has published more than 575 peer-reviewed articles.

The new inductees will be formally recognized at the ASEMFL annual meeting in November. For more information about the academy and its members, visit the ASEMFL website.

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A team of researchers from Florida State University and the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory is looking to nature to find microbes that can be used to create new antibiotics to treat the growing threat of drug-resistant bacteria.

Infection from so-called “super bugs” is a leading cause of death globally. Drug resistant bacteria contribute to nearly five million deaths every year, according to the World Health Organization. As more pathogens develop resistance, that number is expected to jump nearly 70% in the next 25 years.

The team of FSU and MagLab researchers will screen soil microbes from around the world to hunt for sources of new antibacterial drugs. The Novo Nordisk Foundation is funding the project as part of an international drug discovery initiative.

“People have been searching for new antibiotics for many years, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to discover novel compounds. Our goal is to revolutionize the drug discovery pipeline,” said Xiangpeng Li, an assistant professor in the FSU Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. “If we don’t do anything, antibiotic resistance will be a huge problem for the human race.”

Buried treasure: Potential medical marvels in the soil

Molecules made by microbes have long been used to treat bacterial infections. The first antibiotic, penicillin, was developed from mold nearly 100 years ago. Common antibiotics like streptomycin are produced by bacteria.

The researchers will test soil samples supplied by Rob Spencer, a biogeochemist and professor in the Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science. He studies the carbon cycle, and particularly the rapidly changing environments of the Arctic and tropics.

“It’s common to think about soils as just dirt, but they are essential for our nutrient, carbon and water cycles, and microbes in soils hold huge potential for discovery of new drugs,” Spencer said.

His samples from extreme environments like the polar regions hold particular promise because they have not been extensively examined.

“Those samples might contain very novel microbes,” Li said. “They have been frozen for maybe tens to hundreds of thousands of years. We are more likely to find new things.”

How it works

To find sources for potential new antibacterial drugs, the team has the ambitious goal of screening a billion microbes.

Li specializes in droplet microfluidics, manipulating tiny drops of fluid about the width of a human hair through troughs etched on a silicone disc to rapidly conduct chemical screening. His microfluidics system will quickly process tens of thousands of droplets at a time.

“Typically, when we search for new compounds from nature, it’s a rather arduous process working with individually isolated microbes, but with the speed of microfluidics and the analytical power of the Ion Cyclotron Resonance Facility, we can sample all of the microbes from a variety of environments all at once. It’s a very exciting collaboration,” said Edward Kalkreuter, an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Inside the droplets, soil microbial cells will be combined with a common antibiotic-resistant bacterium called Klebsiella pneumoniae and a fluorescent color-coded tag to allow for rapid sorting.

Then the MagLab’s Ion Cyclotron Resonance Facility, or ICR, will identify bioactive molecules from the soil microbes.

“You might have a soil sample and it kills the Klebsiella, but you don’t know what those molecules are. So that’s where we come in,” said ICR Director Kicki Håkansson.

The lab’s powerful ICR mass spectrometers will analyze the droplets that show antimicrobial activity to determine which molecules are responsible for the antibacterial properties. The precision analysis will also be crucial for making sure the discovery is indeed new.

“We’re looking for signals that have not been discovered before. We don’t want to rediscover penicillin,” Li said. “To do that, we annotate the molecular composition of each signal and compare it against databases of known compounds.”

Taking on that data analysis challenge will be the team’s fifth member, Ryan Rodgers, a researcher at the ICR.

International collaboration

The researchers will also share data and ideas with 21 other research groups around the world as part of an international drug discovery consortium with additional funding provided by the Gates Foundation and the Wellcome Trust. This coordinated investment and collaborative effort will accelerate the search for new medications that are crucial to addressing this growing crisis.

“This new approach allows us to look very thoroughly at compounds that haven’t been looked at,” Håkansson said. “And if we find something, this could be transformative, which is what’s really exciting.”

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FAMU-FSU College of Engineering researchers contribute to landmark study demonstrating ultra-low noise levels in innovative qubit platform

Florida State University and FAMU-FSU College of Engineering faculty members Wei Guo and Xianjing Zhou are part of a multi-institution research team whose latest findings advance one of the most promising platforms in quantum computing.

A new qubit, the fundamental building block of quantum information processing, invented at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory exhibits noise levels thousands of times lower than those of most traditional qubits. The study was published in Nature Electronics.

Noise refers to disturbances in the environment that diminish a qubit’s performance. The platform is built by trapping single electrons on the surface of frozen neon gas, and the recent findings position it as a strong contender in the field of high-performance quantum technologies.

The new study was jointly led by Argonne and the University of Notre Dame. Faculty at Florida State University, the University of Chicago, Harvard University and Northeastern University collaborated on the research.

“One of the biggest obstacles in quantum computing is finding a material environment that is quiet enough for qubits to survive, yet practical enough for building larger systems,” said Guo, a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and researcher at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory. “This study shows that solid neon offers a very compelling combination of cleanliness, stability and resilience. That is exactly the kind of foundation we need if we want quantum hardware to become more robust and scalable.”

Quantum computing: Potentially transformative, but challenged by noise

Today’s computers and smartphones run on bits, which are tiny switches that can be either 0 or 1. Quantum computers use a special kind of bit known as qubits that can be 0 and 1 at the same time. What’s more, the state of one qubit can instantly affect another qubit’s state, even if they are on opposite sides of the planet.

The remarkable properties of qubits can endow quantum computers with exponentially greater computational power than that of classical computers. This opens the door to solving challenging problems like inventing disease-curing drugs, advancing materials design, enabling secure communication and optimizing complex supply chains.

Yet quantum computers are still an emerging technology. Qubits are extremely sensitive to noise — tiny disturbances in the environment such as electromagnetic fields, heat and particle vibrations. As a result, qubits tend to have short coherence times, meaning they can only retain information for a fraction of a second.

Most of today’s chip-based qubits are made of semiconducting or superconducting materials. But these qubits are often challenged by noise from material defects, embedded charges and fabrication variability. The electron-on-neon qubit has the potential to address these limitations.

Solid neon is less noisy

In 2022, Argonne scientists at the Center for Nanoscale Materials (CNM), a DOE Office of Science user facility, invented a fundamentally new type of qubit made by freezing neon gas into a solid and spraying electrons from a light bulb filament onto the solid. A special electrode traps a single electron just above the neon’s surface. The electron serves as the qubit, with the electron’s motion in space representing the qubit’s 0 and 1 states.

In this platform, electrons reside in a vacuum just above the neon surface rather than deep inside a conventional solid, which means they are naturally less exposed to the defects and fluctuating environments that often limit qubit performance in other solid-state platforms. Earlier studies had already shown that electrons on solid neon could function as qubits and achieve remarkably strong coherence under highly protected conditions. This new work takes an important next step by showing that the platform remains quiet and functional under less ideal conditions more relevant to future quantum hardware.

Testing for resilience

The study evaluated the platform’s quietness with a systematic noise characterization. Rather than testing the device only under its most protected operating condition, the team examined how the qubit behaved away from the charge-insensitive “sweet spot” and at elevated temperatures, where environmental disturbances become more consequential, allowing researchers to probe the practical resilience of the platform under realistic operating conditions.

The study team found that the noise in the neon qubit platform is 10 to 10,000 times lower than that in most semiconducting qubits and rivals the lowest semiconductor noise records. The researchers also found that the qubits can maintain coherence times above 1 microsecond at temperatures up to 400 millikelvins, a noteworthy result because quantum devices generally become more vulnerable to decoherence as temperature rises.

“Our work shows that solid neon is not only an exceptionally clean host for trapped-electron qubits, but also a surprisingly robust one,” said Xianjing Zhou, assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and a corresponding author of the paper. “That is exciting because reducing noise and relaxing temperature constraints are both essential for pushing quantum devices beyond carefully protected laboratory demonstrations toward more realistic technologies.”

That temperature robustness could prove especially valuable for scaling. Quantum processors typically operate at extremely low temperatures, where cooling power is limited and system engineering becomes increasingly difficult. A qubit platform that remains coherent at higher temperatures could ease one of the major bottlenecks in building larger and more practical quantum systems.

“By carefully characterizing the noise seen by the qubit, we can begin to understand why this platform performs so well and where further improvements can be made,” said Xu Han, scientist at Argonne National Laboratory and co-corresponding author of the study. “That insight is important as we work toward more advanced trapped-electron quantum devices.”

A growing quantum hub in Tallahassee

Guo’s and Zhou’s contributions to this research reflect a broader and growing investment in quantum science taking shape at FSU.

Florida State University’s Quantum Initiative aims to advance quantum science and engineering and accelerate the development of technologies that could reshape computing, communication, sensing and understanding of the physical world. The FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, in partnership with Florida A&M University, is establishing the Center for Quantum Science and Engineering.

Together, these institutional investments are helping build a strong regional ecosystem for quantum research and education, creating opportunities for students to engage in cutting-edge research, deepen their technical expertise and prepare for careers in the rapidly growing quantum workforce.

The study’s authors included Xu Han and Yizhong Huang at Argonne, and Xinhao Li, who was at Argonne when this research was conducted; Yutian Wen and Dafei Jin at the University of Notre Dame; Christopher S. Wang and Brennan Dizdar at the University of Chicago; Wei Guo and Xianjing Zhou at FSU and the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering; and Xufeng Zhang at Northeastern University.

The research was supported by DOE’s Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Argonne’s Laboratory Directed Research and Development program, Julian Schwinger Foundation for Physics Research, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, National Science Foundation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Program, and the France and Chicago Collaborating in the Sciences program. Guo’s research was additionally supported by an NSF grant through Florida A&M University and the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory and by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Grant through Florida State University.

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Florida State University’s Art in STEM event returns for its 12th annual exhibition showcasing the artwork of FSU students conducting research in science, technology, engineering and math disciplines.

The FSU community is invited to enjoy an opening reception from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday, April 21, at the Dirac Science Library, and vote in person or online for their favorite piece. The people’s choice award winner will be announced the following day.

This year’s edition of the annual exhibition, which can be viewed at the Dirac Library and accessed online in a digital gallery, is a collaboration among FSU’s Graduate Women in STEM (GWIS) organization, Art in the Library, and the FSU College of Arts and Sciences. It features 30 artworks created by students representing environmental science, geology, microscopic biology, neuroscience, physical chemistry, astrophysics, ecology, chemical engineering and more.

“The Art in STEM exhibition shows another side of students whose interests or majors are in STEM fields,” said Kaylie Green, 2025-2026 GWIS president and third-year biomathematics doctoral student. “We want viewers to connect with STEM topics through the artwork they see.”

Artists drew inspiration for their creations from their work in the field, lab and classroom, using microscopes, cameras, watercolor and acrylic paints, screen printing and more to capture the artistic side of science and bring their research to life.

“This event demonstrates that art can be found everywhere — even in cells viewed under a microscope,” Green said.

“This event demonstrates that art can be found everywhere — even in cells viewed under a microscope.”

— Kaylie Green, 2025-2026 GWIS president and third-year biomathematics doctoral student

Jennifer Scheckowitz, an undergraduate majoring in physical science in the Department of Physics, is among this year’s featured artists. Her piece, “Heart in Malachite,” highlights the hidden beauty of geological microscopy — analyzing rock, mineral and soil samples to understand geological processes, environmental history and fluid interactions.

Using the depth composition feature on a Keyence VHX-7000 digital microscope, Scheckowitz captured multiple photos of the malachite crystal at different focal points and stitched the images together to produce one cohesive photograph, highlighting the shape of a heart appearing in the light-green stone.

“When I first got the opportunity to explore different forms of microscopy, I was immediately captivated by how rocks and minerals looked under a microscope,” said Scheckowitz, who also participated in the Center for Undergraduate Research and Academic Engagement’s Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program. “I spent a lot of time taking pictures of the microscopic surfaces of many different geological specimens, but the malachite was by far the most interesting to me.”

Scheckowitz’s research was conducted through the Microscopic BioArt research project under the Nanobio Materials and Robotics group led by Jamel Ali, associate professor of chemical and biomedical engineering at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, and based at the FSU-headquartered National High Magnetic Field Laboratory.

Beyond its artistic appeal, geological microscopy is an effective and valuable learning tool for students and amateur geologists, preparing Scheckowitz for future research in physical science and chemical engineering. Her additional artworks in the exhibit, “Biotite Schist under UV Light” and “Sodalite Crystal,” showcase the range and beauty of photomicroscopy.

“While many geological subjects may look identical to the naked eye, employing a microscope reveals fascinating new structures and hidden differences between them,” Scheckowitz said. “It highlights structural features that often go unnoticed, revealing a whole new world just on the surface of a rock.”

Art in STEM encourages the FSU community to engage with various scientific topics, providing an aesthetic entry point for viewers to learn about the innovative research conducted by undergraduate and graduate students across programs.

“This exhibition seamlessly connects art and science,” Scheckowitz said. “I believe that art fosters innovation — the two are intertwined. Artistic experimentation mirrors scientific development, and it’s important to highlight the similarities between the two.”

For more information or to view the 2026 Art in STEM digital exhibition, visit  artinstem.create.fsu.edu. The exhibition will remain in the Dirac Science Library through the summer.

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Five outstanding Florida State University faculty members have been named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, one of the world’s largest organizations dedicated to the promotion of science, engineering and innovation.

This year’s class includes FSU professors Stephen Hill, Michael Roper, Theo Siegrist, Nora Underwood and Dragana Popović.

“We are incredibly proud to see our faculty recognized as AAAS Fellows,” said Vice President for Research Stacey S. Patterson. “This distinction speaks to their commitment to discovery and to the meaningful impact of their work across the scientific community. Their accomplishments strengthen Florida State University and inspire our students, peers and partners.”

Election as an AAAS fellow is a lifetime honor and a tradition dating back to 1874. Past distinguished honorees from across the nation include Ellen Ochoa, Steven Chu, Grace Hopper, Alan Alda, Mae Jemison and Ayanna Howard.

For more on this year’s FSU Honorees:

Stephen Hill
Department of Physics/National High Magnetic Field Laboratory

Hill is a professor of physics and chief scientist for quantum information science at the National MagLab. His research primarily explores the properties of molecular nanomagnets, focusing on quantum information processing and the behavior of single-molecule magnets. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and was recently selected to serve on the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Committee on Identifying Opportunities at the Interface of Chemistry and Quantum Information Science.

Michael Roper
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Roper is a professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Florida State. His work sits at the intersection of chemistry and biology, specifically focusing on microfluidics and bioanalysis. His team develops “lab-on-a-chip” technologies to study cell clusters in the pancreas known as islets of Langerhans. By measuring how these cell clusters secrete hormones like insulin in real-time, his research provides critical insights into the underlying mechanisms of diabetes. Roper has received multiple awards for his research and teaching including the American Chemical Society Young Investigator Award in Separation Science, Developing Scholar Award from FSU, and the Mid-Career Award from the American Electrophoresis Society.

Theo Siegrist
FAMU-FSU College of Engineering/National High Magnetic Field Laboratory

Siegrist, a professor of chemical and biomedical engineering, is a leading expert in materials science and crystallography. His research focuses on the structure-property relationships of complex materials, including organic semiconductors and superconductors. By understanding how atoms are arranged within a crystal, his work helps pave the way for the next generation of electronic devices and energy-efficient materials. Siegrist is a fellow of the American Physical Society. Prior to working at FSU, Siegrist served as a researcher at the famed Bell Laboratories.

Nora Underwood
Department of Biological Science

Underwood is a population biologist who investigates the ecology and evolution of plant-insect interactions and the relationship between climate and the timing of biological events. Her research examines topics such as how plant diversity influences insect damage on plants, and how temperature has influenced the timing of spring growth over decades and centuries. Her work helps us understand biodiversity, how ecosystems change, and the natural management of agricultural pests and pollinators. Underwood received the 2021-22 Distinguished Teacher Award from FSU and was named a U.S. Fulbright Scholar for the 2024-2025 year.

Dragana Popović
National High Magnetic Field Laboratory/Department of Physics

Popović is a condensed matter physicist known for her experimental studies on electronic transport and magnetic properties in disordered systems. She focuses on phenomena such as the metal-insulator transition, high-temperature superconductivity, and charge dynamics. Her research often involves cooling materials to temperatures near absolute zero to observe how electrons behave under extreme conditions.  She was named a Fellow of the American Physical Society in 2012 and a Distinguished University Scholar in 2013. She is being honored for outstanding experimental contributions to the physics of strongly correlated electron systems, and especially for seminal work on out-of-equilibrium behavior of two-dimensional electronic systems near quantum phase transitions.

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