A variety of initiatives and actions are being implemented to develop the quantum workforce, fueled by research in quantum computing, quantum communication, quantum sensing and quantum cryptography. There is a need to teach students about quantum information beyond what was traditionally covered in the undergraduate curriculum. In order to study student learning of this topic and how to best prepare them for the workforce of the future, we investigate two interrelated perspectives: (1) what skills and knowledge are required by the 21st century quantum industry; and (2) how do we teach those skills and experimental knowledge, primarily at the undergraduate level.
The Quantum Workforce Development page describes our projects investigating ways to support the development of the quantum workforce. This includes educator and industry perspectives on building our capacity for quantum information science and engineering education as well as students’ views, attitudes, and beliefs about the quantum industry.
The Quantum Education page contains studies we have performed of individual courses or types of experiments, focusing on student learning in the classroom. This includes studies of a senior quantum industry capstone course and a first-year graduate quantum lab course as well as studies of students from various institutions using a sequence of hands-on quantum optics experiments and a publicly accessible remote quantum matter experiment.
The Physics Frontiers Centers (PFC) program supports university-based centers and institutes where the collective efforts of a larger group of individuals can enable transformational advances in the most promising research areas. The program is designed to foster major breakthroughs at the intellectual frontiers of physics by providing needed resources such as combinations of talents, skills, disciplines, and/or specialized infrastructure, not usually available to individual investigators or small groups, in an environment in which the collective efforts of the larger group can be shown to be seminal to promoting significant progress in the science and the education of students. PFCs also include creative, substantive activities aimed at enhancing education, broadening participation of traditionally underrepresented groups, and outreach to the scientific community and general public.