Alumni Projects - Graduation Year: 2026
Secure computation in the Quantum Era
External Mentor: Atul Mantri, Virginia Tech Center for Quantum Information Science and Engineering
This project aims to implement a quantum homomorphic evaluation protocol for computation on encrypted data. In a scenario in which a client delegates computation to a remote server, there are cases in which the client wishes to make use of the serv... read more
Quantum Agent-Based Modeling of Disease Dynamics
Introduction
The proposed research aims to explore the potential advantage quantum computing may have in modeling the dynamics of disease spread using agent-based simulations. Agent-based models (ABMs) are a widely used approach in epidemiology, as they allow disease dynamics to emerge from local interactions between individuals rather than f... read more
Interactive Hologram Mimicry Using Projector Imaging in a Fine Mist Medium
This project aims to simulate hologram technology through the usage of projector-generated images into a fine water mist, creating the appearance of screenless, floating visuals. A projector mounted on an optics bench is shaped using focusing optics to project patterns into the mist, where the light scattering among the suspended droplets makes the... read more
Optimizing Commercial Flights using QAOA
This project aims to optimize a user’s flight itinerary by combining fare forecasting with flight route optimization. This project examines two independent methods to reduce air travel costs. The first leverages a classical approach: machine learning models forecast fares, and graph search methods such as A* build multistop itineraries under user p... read more
Optical Tweezers to Aid With Cell Movement
Introduction: Cell manipulation is an essential part of medicine because of its ability to aid in cancer treatment, genetic disease therapy, and more. It is typically performed using glass pipettes. However, because of the fragility of the cell and the difficulty in achieving a stable position, it is often difficult for glass pipettes to accuratel... read more
Quantum Mean-field Multi Agent Reinforcement Learning
My project aims to create a learning framework for large multi-agent systems that combines mean field game theory with model-free quantum reinforcement learning methods. This means formulating a representative agent model, where the agent would interact with the rest of the population, and their interaction would be described by the reduced quantum... read more
A Quantum-Inspired Evolutionary Approach to Supplementing Dynamic Trim Control in Rockets
The proposed research will examine the application of a Quantum-Inspired Evolutionary Optimization (QIEO) algorithm in solving a sample rocket trim state problem, a non-linear, complex aerospace engineering problem. This contribution extends numerical optimization toolkits like CasADi and csdl_alpha with quantum-inspired numerical computation. The ... read more
Quantum Two-Level Oscillation Model of Bull–Bear Market Regimes
This project investigates whether a simple quantum two-level system can provide an informative alternative to classical models of bull–bear regimes in financial markets. Standard regime-switching models treat the market as occupying one of two states, bull or bear, with fixed transition prob- abilities estimated from historical return data. Here... read more
V-SPARC: Detecting Long Period Transients with VLITE
External Mentor: Dr. Emil Polisensky, Naval Research Laboratory
The proposed research aims to detect a new class of astronomical objects known as Long Period Transients (LPT) using data collected by the Naval Research Laboratory’s Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) Low band Ionospheric and Transient Experiment (VLITE). VLITE receivers are curren... read more
Space-Curved Quantum Control Beyond the Rotating Wave Approximation for Driven Two-Level Systems
EXTERNAL MENTOR: Hunter Nelson, Virginia Tech Center for Quantum Information Science and Engineering
A common tool for simplifying driven two-level systems is the rotating wave approximation (RWA). It applies when the driving pulse is weak compared to the transition energy difference and has a frequency near it.
However, in some instances, it... read more
Grover vs. Symmetric Cryptography
EXTERNAL MENTOR: Dr. Atul Mantri, Virginia Tech Center for Quantum Information Science and Engineering
Introduction
The proposed research aims to simulate Grover’s search to “attack” toy ciphers. The efficacy of this approach will be demonstrated by comparing it to a classical brute force approach, which is significantly slower than quant... read more
Magic and Entanglement for ADAPT-VQE
EXTERNAL MENTOR: Mafalda Ramôa, Virginia Tech Center for Quantum Information Science and Engineering
Magic and entanglement are both necessary for quantum advantage. These resources have been studied in the context of the QAOA algorithm (see arXiv:2205.12283, arXiv:2505.17185); the purpose of this project is to study their role in ADAPT-VQE.
... read more
Effects of Symmetry Breaking in Trotterized Real-Time Dynamics
EXTERNAL MENTOR: Dr. Bharath Sambasivam, Virginia Tech Center for Quantum Information Science and Engineering
The proposed research aims to develop symmetry-preserving algorithms for simulating time-dependent quantum dynamics on quantum computers. Building on foundational work in quantum simulation and the use of product-formula (Trotterizatio... read more
Entanglement of Quantum States
External mentor: Tianci Zhou, Virginia Tech Center for Quantum Information Science and Engineering
The proposed research aims to explore the level statistics of quantum Hamiltonians. In this case, the energy levels are the eigenvalues of the Hamiltonian operators. Recently, we have seen such statistics applied to quantum circuits. We aim to stud... read more
Observing and Simulating Effects of Spin on Drag for a Soccer Ball
The proposed research aims to simulate the experimentally observed drag and lift of a soccer ball in a simplified 2D CFD. The simulation will account for the specific stitching of the soccer ball. To experimentally find the drag coefficient, I plan to conduct a drop test, observing terminal velocity, and using that to calculate drag. To experimenta... read more
Quantum Attention Deep Q-Network for Financial Market Prediction
Financial markets exhibit nonstationary dynamics, regime shifts, and complex interactions that challenge standard supervised learning predictors. Reinforcement learning (RL) is well-suited to decision-making under uncertainty because it optimizes sequential actions directly toward long-term reward (e.g., risk-adjusted return) [1]. This project aims... read more
Randomness and symmetries in ADAPT
External Mentor: Karunya Shirali, Virginia Tech Center for Quantum Information Science and Engineering
The proposed research aims to explore the role symmetry plays in the convergence of the ADAPT-VQE algorithm, a variational quantum eigensolver which iteratively constructs an ansatz (a parameterized quantum circuit designed to approximate the g... read more
Efficient Device Independent Quantum Number Generator Design and Analysis
Introduction
Monte Carlo simulations [Metropolis, 1949] are a powerful class of computational algorithms used to model and analyze complex systems or processes involving uncertainty. These simulations are widely used across various scientific and engineering domains, including physics, finance, and machine learning. A typical Monte Carlo simulat... read more
Lightweight NV Diamond CW-ODMR Magnetometer and Application
The proposed research will aim to utilize Nitrogen Vacancy (NV)-Diamond based Continuous Wave- Optically Detected Magnetic Resonance (CW-ODMR) Magnetometers to measure magnetic fields with targeted sensitivity. The proposed NV-Diamonds to be used in the contraption will be grown in the lab. Ideally, the research will utilize two different NV dia... read more
Precision AFM Measurement of the Casimir Force with Sphere–Plate Geometry & Metamaterial Simulations
Quantum vacuum fluctuations cause the Casimir force between neutral bodies at nanometer separations. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) in the sphere–plane configuration avoids the alignment challenges of parallel plates and enables precise measurements of F(z). We will perform a precision AFM study using a gold (Au)–coated silica microsphere (radius ... read more
A Hybrid Quantum-Classical Attention Mechanism for Efficient Large Language Models
Our proposed research aims to explore new methods that improve efficiency in large language models by designing a hybrid quantum-classical attention mechanism. The attention layer acts as the mechanism that dynamically weights and highlights relevant parts while generating each output token. Self-attention, a core component, enables these models... read more
Quantum Premier League: A Quantum-Inspired Model for Fantasy Team Optimization
Introduction
The proposed research explores how principles of quantum mechanics can be applied to solve a real-world optimization problem: selecting the highest-scoring Fantasy Premier League (FPL) team under budget and formation constraints. We model this as a combinatorial optimization problem and express it as an Ising Hamiltonian follow... read more
Hybrid Quantum-Classical Pipeline for Identifying Higher Order Correlations in Neurons
Introduction
The proposed research aims to develop a hybrid quantum-classical pipeline to identify higher-order, or motif-level, correlations in neurons populations. We will analyze two-photon calcium imaging data collected from the mouse auditory cortex when mice are given auditory stimuli of diffe... read more
Quantum Simulation of Elliptic Curve Crytography Arithmetic
Introduction:
Our proposed research aims to explore the implementation of elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) arithmetic on quantum computers by developing quantum circuits for group operations across multiple elliptic curve models. Building on prior work that optimized affine Weierstrass addition formulas for Shor’s algorithm, we extend these app... read more
Ansatz significance in sample-based quantum diagonalization
EXTERNAL MENTOR: Dr. Jason Saroni, Virginia Tech
Introduction
The proposed research aims to answer a key quantum chemistry question in finding ground states of many-body systems. Sample-based quantum diagonalization (SQD) methods are an alternative approach to traditional Variational Quantum Eigensolvers (VQEs) for approximating ground s... read more
Quantum Dot-Enabled Biosensing of E. coli for Waterborne Pathogen Detection
The proposed research aims to explore the development of a carbon quantum dot-based detection system for Escherichia coli (E. coli). It builds off the findings and methodology of a 2023 QLab project and aims to refine methods to improve sensitivity. Quantum dots are versatile nanomaterials with unique optoelectronic properties due to its broad ... read more
Generalizing commuting operators for ADAPT-VQE
EXTERNAL MENTOR: Dr. Bharath Sambasivam, Virginia Tech
Introduction
The proposed research aims to improve the traditional approach of Variational Quantum Eigensolver (VQE) for finding the ground state of many-body systems. Used in quantum chemistry and molecule simulations, VQE is a hybrid quantum-classical algorithm that works by taki... read more
Synthesis of Nano-crystalline (Red) Structurally Colored Ceramics
Introduction:
Our project aims to expand the fabrication of stable ceramic-based structural colors beyond the blue/green range of the visible light spectrum. We hypothesize that this can be done using a non-reflective material similar to the work of Li et al. who used liquid photonic crystals as a coating. A multi-layered computation model that ... read more
Topological Graphs and the Quantum Transition to encode information topologically
This research advances graph theory and its applications by introducing a novel framework in which edges are represented not as static scalar weights, but as vector-valued functions. Through this approach, graphs are encoded as webs of B-splines, enabling edges to capture topology, geometry, and node significance in ways that linear definitions ... read more
Proof of Quantumness
EXTERNAL MENTOR: Atul Mantri, Virginia Tech.
Quantum Teleportation of Information with Diamonds
The proposed research aims to explore the ability to teleport information into macroscopic diamonds to be then sent to a seperate output source. Adding onto an experiment by Hou et al., we will send femtosecond laser pulses from a Ti–sapphire laser into a diamond to produce a Stokes photon, which is an excitation in the phonon mode. We will then pr... read more
An Agent Based Model of the Elderly Care Market for Technological Services
abstract
Using QEC to Improve Accuracy of Survey-Based Population Synthesis for Small Area Estimation
EXTERNAL MENTOR: Dr. Taylor Anderson, George Mason University
The proposed research aims to improve the accuracy and stability of small-area estimation (SAE) for health indicators by applying quantum error correction (QEC) to survey-based synthetic population generation. SAE is a critical tool in public health research, allowing localized estima... read more
Exploring the Mathematical and Physical Foundations of Relativity
This project aims to explore and understand the mathematical and physical foundations of Einstein’s theories of special and general relativity. Rather than beginning with a fixed research question, the goal is to develop a strong conceptual and mathematical grounding in relativity and use that foundation to identify a specific topic for deeper inve... read more
Multiparticle Quantum Control via Plasmonic Near-Fields on Integrated Photonic Chips
Introduction:
This research aims to learn how plasmonic near-fields, and those embedded in integrated photonic architectures can be used to control multiphoton quantum states. Traditional quantum photonics rely on probabilistic entanglement sources such as spontaneous parametric down-conversion and four-wave mixing, which suffer from scal... read more
Magneto-Optical Trap
The proposed research aims to advance the Quantum Lab’s in progress magneto-optical trap (MOT) which has been worked on over the past two years. We hope to fully understand, complete, and improve the current doppler-free saturation spectroscopy (DFSS) setup in the QLab and rework the design for the vacuum chamber. Doing so would allow us to trap ru... read more