UCSB’s Eddleman Quantum Institute announces new round of funding to accelerate quantum research

In 2020, tech businessman Roy Eddleman sought to advance quantum sciences at UC Santa Barbara, and did so with his support of the Eddleman Quantum Institute(EQI), formerly the Eddleman Center for Quantum Innovation. The generous gift from the late philanthropist enabled the acceleration of quantum research by funding both current and upcoming researchers involved in a variety of projects, from the search for materials that can give rise to quantum behaviors, to quantum computing and sensing, to education aimed at the next generation of scientists.

"UC Santa Barbara is one of the leading universities in the world who understands [quantum science] better than practically everyone," Eddleman said in 2021. And indeed, the campus has cemented its position as a leader in quantum research, with the development of quantum computing circuits, ultra-high sensitivity sensors, LEDs and other photonic and optical devices and more. In 2025, UCSB physics professors Michel Devoret and John Martinis received the Nobel Prize in Physics for their discovery of "macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantisation in an electric circuit," in the a feat that ushered in a revolution of science and engineering in a variety of fields.

And now, with the latest round of projects to be supported by the center, UCSB is poised to stay on that leading edge. This year, the center continues to broaden its quantum horizons, providing seed funding for new and ongoing faculty research, supporting graduate student research and also sponsoring undergraduates who join these research efforts.

"Because scientific progress begins with the freedom to explore, support for curiosity-driven research is a key strategic element of the EQI portfolio," said UCSB physics professor David Weld, who co-directs EQI along with physics professor Ania Jayich and materials professor Stephen Wilson. "These eight very different seed projects raise fascinating questions and open new directions in quantum science. Congratulations are due to all involved students and faculty; we look forward to seeing the results of their explorations!"

This year's faculty recipients of the Eddleman Quantum Institute project seed funding, and graduate and undergraduate fellows support are:

Andrea Young - for the magnetic response of unconventional atomically thin superconductors

Andrew Jayich - for an atomic clock that uses multiple ions for ultraprecise timekeeping

Ania Jayich - to improve the readout of quantum sensors

David Weld - to model curved spacetime with shaken quantum matter

Galan Moody - to enable the entanglement of multiple photons between different buildings at UCSB

Ram Seshadri - to expand our knowledge of experimental superconductors by characterizing their crystal structures and their electronic structures and topology

Stephen Wilson - for superconductivity in an unusual magnetic material

Susanne Stemmer - to explore quantum phenomena to lay the foundation for a universal quantum computer

UCSB's EQI is one of several institutes in Southern California sponsored by Roy Eddleman, who also funded quantum institutes at Caltech and UC Irvine. The three institutions together have received from his trust a combined $64.7 million to promote his vision for interactive and collaborative quantum research. Since 2020, 29 UC Santa Barbara graduate students have received support for their projects from EQI.

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The University of California, Santa Barbara is a leading research institution that also provides a comprehensive liberal arts learning experience. Our academic community of faculty, students, and staff is characterized by a culture of interdisciplinary collaboration that is responsive to the needs of our multicultural and global society. All of this takes place within a living and learning environment like no other, as we draw inspiration from the beauty and resources of our extraordinary location at the edge of the Pacific Ocean.