To advance quantum research during this exciting time, and help bridge Stanford's physics and engineering departments, the university is launching a new postdoctoral fellows program named after Felix Bloch, who was a theoretical physicist at Stanford and the university's first Nobel Prize winner.

The Bloch fellowship is awarded by the Q-FARM (Quantum Fundamentals, ARchitecture and Machines) initiative, which launched last year. Q-FARM emerged from Stanford's long-range planning process as part of a team focused on understanding the natural world. The initiative seeks to utilize the resources of both Stanford and the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory to accelerate quantum research.

The first cohort of Bloch fellows was appointed this year and includes postdocs studying topics ranging from the fundamentals of quantum theory to computing and sensing applications.

Up to six fellows will be selected each year for a 2-3 year appointment, based on strong research proposals and previous accomplishments in the field. They are then jointly advised by at least two faculty members, which in most cases hail from different departments and schools, to foster interdisciplinary collaborations. The first cohort of Bloch fellows was appointed this year and includes postdocs studying topics ranging from the fundamentals of quantum theory to computing and sensing applications.

"These first five fellows had innovative proposals that connect research groups and establish collaborations that didn't exist previously," reports Prof. Jelena Vuckovic. "We also picked candidates who span all areas of Q-FARM: from theory to experiment, from algorithms to devices and circuits, from science to engineering."

The Q-FARM directors hope this diversity of interests and collaboration between departments will seed more creative projects and build lasting connections. The result will be a new generation of quantum scientists and engineers for academia and industry that honors the fellowship's namesake.

To read more about the 2020 Q-FARM Bloch Fellows, see Q-FARM news article, "Bloch Fellowship in Quantum Science and Engineering"

Congratulations to the 2020 Q-FARM Fellows!

• Shahriar Aghaeimeibodi
• Vahid Ansari
• Anirudh Krishna
• Tibor Rakovszky
• Yijian Zou

Excerpted from Stanford News, "First Stanford Bloch Fellowship in quantum science and engineering announced", July 27, 2020