Abstract

Quantum technologies rely on materials whose useful properties often originate at the atomic scale, from defects in solids to semiconductor nanocrystals and molecular emitters. Translating these systems into functional quantum devices requires more than identifying suitable quantum states: it requires controlling how materials are prepared, processed, characterized, and interfaced with their environment. In this talk, I will discuss emerging approaches to engineering quantum materials across these different stages, with an emphasis on closed-loop strategies in which characterization informs subsequent processing and control. I will highlight our work on diamond quantum emitters, including spectroscopy-guided nanofabrication, and ongoing efforts toward foundry-fabricated CMOS platforms for multimodal materials characterization and control. Finally, I will present a broader perspective on opportunities at the interface of chemistry and quantum technology, including emerging approaches for programming chemical reactivity through local electronic structure.

Biography

Jawaher Almutlaq is an Ibn Rushd Assistant Professor of Materials Science and Applied Physics at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), where she leads the Quantum Photonics Lab. She received her Ph.D. from KAUST and subsequently joined the Research Laboratory of Electronics at MIT as an Ibn Khaldun Postdoctoral Fellow and Ibn Rushd Fellow. Her research focuses on engineering and interfacing quantum emitters for scalable quantum sensing and communication.