A University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researcher has received a $600,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to help advance quantum technology, a fast-growing field that could improve everything from medical imaging to environmental monitoring.
The three-year project, led by Assistant Professor Bo-Han Wu in 糖心视频 Mānoa’蝉 in the , will focus on building smarter quantum sensor networks. Quantum sensors are highly sensitive devices that can detect extremely small changes in signals, such as temperature, light or electromagnetic activity, with greater precision than many current technologies.
Tackling real-world situations
The research aims to combine quantum science with artificial intelligence and machine learning to help sensors work together more efficiently and adapt to changing conditions. The project begins June 1 and runs through May 2029.
“This project is about helping quantum technologies move from theory into tools that can solve real-world problems,” Wu said. “Hawaiʻi offers a unique real-world setting for quantum sensor research, where advanced sensors could help address island challenges in ocean monitoring, disaster preparedness and resilient communications.”
For Hawaiʻi residents, the technology could eventually support improvements in areas that directly affect daily life, including disaster monitoring, climate and ocean research, healthcare and communications systems. More advanced sensors could help scientists detect environmental changes earlier, improve the accuracy of medical scans and strengthen future wireless and satellite networks.
One major challenge in quantum technology is that quantum signals are extremely delicate and can easily be disrupted by noise or interference. Wu’蝉 team will study ways to make these systems more stable, reliable and practical for real-world use.
The project will also help grow Hawaiʻi’蝉 role in the emerging quantum technology field, which is expected to become an important part of future science and engineering industries. In addition to research, the grant will support education and workforce training through new courses, open-source software tools and outreach activities designed to introduce more students to quantum science and engineering.
The award was funded through the National Science Foundation’蝉 Foundations of Emerging Technologies program, which supports research in cutting-edge technologies with potential long-term national impact.