John Schaibley: First Faculty Fellow Leads Quantum Research
Schaibley is the first UA faculty fellow to unite quantum research.
John Schaibley
The University of Arizona Office of Research and Partnerships appointed John Schaibley as the first Quantum Faculty Fellow. Associate physics professor Schaibley. This new post was created to lead the university's quantum science and technology endeavours. Schaibley is an associate professor in the Wyant College of Optical Sciences and a Fellow at the University of Arizona Centre for Semiconductor Manufacturing.
John Schaibley will advise research senior vice president Tomás Díaz de la Rubia for three years. He wants to expand, strengthen, and organise the U of A's quantum research environment.
According to Díaz de la Rubia, the U of A's strength lies in its business relationships and researchers' expertise across subjects. Díaz de la Rubia aims to make Arizona a national leader in quantum technology, enabling advancements in semiconductor manufacturing, secure communications, and AI.
Schaibley's principal goal as a faculty fellow is to unite U of A quantum scholars into a centralised effort. He wants to create a leadership system that promotes college-wide creativity to advance quantum research.
John Schaibley said, “This is about how we strategically hire and develop quantum at the University of Arizona in a way that will make us excel in a unique way.”
He will lead campus lectures and a strategic planning process commencing in January 2026. Faculty on any quantum-related area will be asked to share ideas and identify opportunities to establish a long-term vision for the university's work. To “develop a quantum strategy that reflects the U of A’s distinct strengths and is in line with national and international priorities,” John Schaibley wants to “identify a central group of researchers.”
The U of A is well-positioned to study new quantum frontiers due to its strengths in innovative materials, acoustics, optics, and space research. These capabilities are supported by the New Frontiers of Sound (NewFoS) NSF Centre, which uses cutting-edge acoustic technology to recreate quantum phenomena, and the recently rebuilt ACA-sponsored Nano Fabrication Centre, which can make quantum devices.
John Schaibley said the national focus on quantum technology, artificial intelligence, semiconductor manufacturing, and fusion energy makes today “the perfect time” to expand the university's quantum efforts. He also credited the 2018 National Quantum Initiative Act for spurring investment and the establishment of quantum startup enterprises that offer cooperation and research opportunities. Because of their potential applications in space and quantum photonics, Schaibley supports cooperation to develop next-generation quantum devices and space-based quantum systems.
After receiving the $1.3 million, five-year Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Experimental Physics Investigator Award, John Schaibley is conducting quantum research in addition to his fellowship. Schaibley's lab will use this money to produce synthetic quantum materials and engineer new quantum states in 2-D semiconductor devices.
These tiny crystals can regulate electron velocity and interaction to provide new, fundamental insights into condensed matter physics, including superconductivity and magnetism. This technology could make computers faster and more energy-efficient, reducing the energy footprint of massive data centres. It could be utilised for AI/ML and data security.
By the end of his three-year fellowship, John Schaibley hopes to have increased quantum research on campus by bringing together the current population, recruiting new academics, obtaining cooperative research funds for the entire university, and collaborating with companies to bring new quantum technology to market.