The quantum revolution in Chattanooga continues with a $450,000 NSF grant
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga was awarded a $450,000 NSF grant to advance metro-scale quantum sensing.
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) has received a $447,621 award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to lead groundbreaking research in quantum sensing—technology that could dramatically enhance how we detect subtle environmental changes across large-scale networks.
The three-year project is funded under NSF’s Communications, Circuits and Sensing-Systems (CCSS) program and is led by Dr. Tian Li, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the UTC Quantum Center and assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry and Physics. Dr. Don Reising, a UC Foundation Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering, is serving as co-principal investigator (PI). UTC is partnering with Purdue University on the work.
Titled “Sub-Shot-Noise Limited Distributed Quantum Sensing on a Commercial Metro-Scale Quantum Network via Deep-Learning-Aided Noise Suppression,” the research combines quantum physics with machine learning to push the limits of what today’s fiber-optic networks can do.
“This NSF-funded collaborative project will position UTC as a national leader in quantum networking research,” Li said. “With UTC serving as the lead institution, we are driving the development of a secure, entanglement-based quantum network in the Southeast. In parallel, our collaboration with Purdue extends the vision toward long-distance quantum communication across regions.”
The research will explore how “squeezed light”—a state of light used in quantum optics—can enhance distributed sensing, allowing for measurements with greater sensitivity than traditional systems can offer. The goal is to demonstrate these capabilities on Chattanooga’s advanced fiber-optic infrastructure, including the EPB-built Bohr-IV Quantum Network. Developed in partnership with IonQ, the network provides a reconfigurable testbed for scalable quantum applications.
A key innovation of the project is its use of real-time deep learning algorithms to suppress excess noise across the network, without relying on conventional calibration techniques. These methods, inspired by quantum key distribution protocols, are being adapted for real-world sensing applications such as tracking air quality or detecting micro-vibrations in urban environments.
“We are excited by Dr. Li’s recent success in gaining competitively awarded grant support from the National Science Foundation to advance and demonstrate quantum sensing leveraging the metropolitan quantum network in Chattanooga,” said Reinhold Mann, UTC’s Vice Chancellor for Research. “This project demonstrates the value of interdisciplinary team research conducted by experts at UTC and Purdue University that engages undergraduate and graduate students.”
As quantum research continues to expand in scope and impact, UTC’s role as a regional leader is growing clearer. This project not only aims to push scientific boundaries but also to train the next generation of quantum scientists through hands-on involvement in cutting-edge experimentation.
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