Quantum physics and nanoscale engineering
Stephan Haas (left), professor of physics in the USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, specializes in condensed
matter theory. His recent work includes the application of M onte Carlo simulations to the study of quantum phase
transitions in antiferromagnets, the development of optimization algorithms to construct nanoscale optoelectronic
devices, and the generalization of the theory of superconductivity to new, unconventional compounds.
Anthony Levi, professor of electrical engineering in the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and professor of
physics in the USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, is an expert in device physics, system-level integration
of optoelectronic technologies, advanced interconnect and network technologies, and quantum electronics.
He holds 14 U.S. patents.
Haas and Levi have teamed up to build computer programs that will lead to a novel approach to the design of a
new generation of ultrasmall devices and spur the creation of new applications based on nanoscale building blocks with
optimized broken symmetry. These non-intuitive designs utilize quantum mechanical interference, enabling access to
functionalities that are beyond the reach of traditional ad hoc engineering approaches. This interdisciplinary collaboration
promises to advance quantum theory, computational modeling, and the way engineers design new systems. The
researchers are defining a new field called adaptive quantum design, which bridges the abstract realm of quantum physics
and the more practical concerns of nanoscale engineering.
Haas is known for building sophisticated and highly complex computer models that predict how millions of atoms interact
and move in the quantum world. Such models are proving important to the development of applications in the field
of nanotechnology -- applications that address the design and fabrication of tiny switches, light filters, computer chips,
and other devices out of molecules or atoms. Haas and Levi's quantum design software has already produced viable new
designs for atomic, laser, and millimeter-wave components. Haas and Levi use HPCC resources to explore the near-infinite
landscape of geometric shapes or configurations to find optimal designs. Levi can then create a physical version of these
designs for experimental testing. D ata from the experiments are used to help improve the software. The numerical search
for optimal and robust configurations relies extensively on state-of-the-art computer hardware and would not have been
possible without the computational power of USC's HPCC.
