Tohoku University and the University of Chicago have recently established a joint research hub at Tohoku University's Research Institute of Electrical Communication (RIEC). Opened in September 2026, the hub will advance materials and devices for quantum technologies while training researchers who can work across disciplines and national borders.

The initiative expands the Chicago-Tohoku Quantum Alliance, launched in 2023, and builds on decades of collaboration between the universities.

Alongside the establishment of the joint research hub, University of Chicago professors David D. Awschalom, a leader in quantum information science and engineering, and Giulia Galli, a leader in first-principles theory and the computational design of materials and molecules, have been appointed Distinguished Visiting Professors at Tohoku University.

"By bringing together Tohoku University's strengths in materials science and device engineering with the University of Chicago's expertise in quantum science and engineering, this new hub will create an integrated pathway from materials discovery to quantum devices," said Awschalom.

The hub will connect the University of Chicago's expertise in quantum control, theory, and computation with Tohoku University's strengths in materials science, spintronics, nanofabrication, and device engineering. Researchers will work across the full development cycle, from predicting and identifying candidate materials to fabricating and evaluating devices. They will also use facilities such as NanoTerasu to investigate the structures and electronic states of materials.

"By connecting theory and computation with materials and device research, we hope this hub will broaden both the scope of quantum science and the range of researchers contributing to it," said Galli. "Bringing researchers from different fields together can open new directions that would not emerge within a single discipline."

Through joint projects and exchanges, the hub will train students and early-career researchers to work at the intersection of quantum science, materials science, and device engineering. The universities also plan to support the translation of research outcomes into industrial applications and new ventures through Tohoku University's startup support programs.

Together, these efforts aim to broaden the range of materials and devices used in quantum computing, sensing, and communication, and to build an international research hub capable of sustaining long-term collaboration.

Contact:

Shun Kanai,
Research Institute of Electrical Communication
Email: skanaitohoku.ac.jp