RQS Hosts Next Generation of Quantum Researchers Through REU Program

From modeling and analyzing complex quantum interactions to observing the behavior of electrons in magnetic fields, eight visiting undergraduates contributed to this research and more at the Institute for Robust Quantum Simulation (RQS) on the University of Maryland (UMD) campus this past summer.

The students were selected for the Institute for Robust Quantum Simulation Research Experience for Undergraduates (RQS REU) program, a 10-week paid summer research experience supported by the National Science Foundation that connects students from around the country directly with top quantum researchers and university faculty to serve as their project mentors.

In addition to research opportunities, RQS REU offered participating students cohort-building events like official lunches, informal gatherings and a seminar series that covered a range of topics from quantum to science ethics and AI. The seminar series was co-hosted by RQS, the REU for Combinatorics, Algorithms, and AI for Real Problems (CAAR), the Institute for Trustworthy AI in Law & Society (TRAILS), and the Experimental Quantum Internship Program & Training at LPS Qubit Collaboratory (EQuIPT). Participants were also invited to RQS events like the institute's annual workshop, giving the students balanced exposure to their team, each other, and the RQS community. The research program concluded with a joint poster session between RQS and EQuIPt, where students gave elevator pitches on their summer research projects and presented their posters.

Zohreh Davoudi, an associate professor of physics at UMD and the Associate Director for Education and Workforce Development at RQS, emphasized the importance of placing undergraduates directly into active research environments.

“I love to see our REU students arrive in Maryland from all corners of the U.S. and leave feeling like they belong to this university and our RQS Institute, to the research group they joined, and to the cohort they were part of,” Davoudi said. “The experience can shape their character as a researcher, make them comfortable with fast-moving academic positions and opportunities, and allow them to adjust to new environments swiftly and seamlessly.”

For many of the visiting students, the RQS REU program acts as an accelerator, allowing them to expand their physics, mathematics, and computer science knowledge by working on high-level research outside of their typical scope.

Vedant Birla, a rising senior double-majoring in physics and applied mathematics at the University of California, Berkeley, spent his summer working under the mentorship of Davoudi and postdoctoral researcher Joseph Moscoso. Their research focuses on quantum field theory—specifically using advanced computational frameworks known as tensor networks to model and analyze complex quantum interactions.

Despite coming in with minimal knowledge of quantum field theory, Birla shared that the RQS REU program has been an immense learning experience. 

“I have genuinely learned an insane amount,” Birla said. “I think I've learned more in the span of the last five weeks about quantum mechanics, quantum field theory, and just generally physics than I would have in an entire semester, maybe an entire year.”

Birla noted that having experienced mentors like Moscoso to review code, adjust parameters, and provide guidance on new and unfamiliar research has been invaluable to his growth as a researcher in and beyond the program.

Davoudi noted that this growth is reciprocal, as visiting students often bring fresh ideas and energy to the lab.

“Vedant often contributed to the discussions in the group meetings on topics such as quantum computing and AI, and was eager to share his knowledge and experience with the rest of the group,” Davoudi said. “He already feels like a member of our group and we all miss him.”

Aside from helping students develop technical skills, the RQS REU program is designed to help students discover their niche and experience the collaborative nature of high-level research.

Aarav Pabla, who is graduating two years early from the University of California, Los Angeles  with a degree in computer science and physics, is working with Mohammad Hafezi, the Minta Martin Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Physics and Director of RQS, to explore how to optically control edge currents—a process that involves shining precisely tuned lasers to control electrons orbiting near the boundaries of a magnetic field.

For Pabla, who participated in an REU last year on the computer science side, switching to a more physics-focused environment has been highly rewarding.

“I’ve enjoyed meeting people with all these different perspectives,” Pabla explained. “I think that’s the most important thing I’ve gained.”

Pabla’s lab partner this summer—William "Liam" Castillo, a rising senior majoring in physics at Western Washington University—shares a similar sentiment.

Under Hafezi’s mentorship, Castillo is studying how particles behave inside specialized superconducting materials or custom-built materials that conduct electricity with zero resistance. He is exploring what happens when the invisible boundaries holding these particles in place are removed, allowing researchers to observe whether the particles stay paired together or eventually drift apart.

As Castillo prepares to apply to graduate school, the RQS REU program has provided both technical clarity and a sense of belonging in the scientific community.

“This program has been a really good survey of the field,” Castillo said. “And just being able to feel like I'm a part of a research team has been pretty fun.”

—Story by Diya Sharma, UMIACS communications group