Date
Oct 18, 2021
Attendees
J. Allen, U. Bhowmik, Z. Cheng, K. Driggs-Campbell, M. Hasegawa-Johnson, Y.-C. Hu, R. Iyer, N. Kani, j. Kim, E. Kudeki, T. Moon, C. Radhakrishnan, U. Ravaioli, A. Schwing. Guest: Eric Chitambar
Minutes
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The discussion then moved to ECE 398EC "Quantum Systems I". Eric Chitambar joined the meeting as a guest and introduced the course as well as the broader portfolio of 400-level courses for which this course would be a pre-requisite while at the same time replacing the existing ECE 487. The plan has already identified ECE 306 305 as the number for this new course once approval for permanent offering is gained. Eric also discussed the existing coordination with Physics faculty. Erhan Kudeki added that the existing sophomore course PHYS 214, which introduces quantum topics for the first time in the curriculum, is undergoing a revamping to make it more relevant to ECE students. The general discussion covered the interrelationship between the various courses in the quantum curriculum. At some point the issue was raised about the possibilities to include a laboratory component. Eric commented that in general experiments based on quantum optics would be more feasible than the ones requiring superconductors or ions entanglement. He added that the Physics Department is considering the development of related instructional laboratories and there may be opportunities to latch onto this effort in the future, which could also be favorably considered under the umbrella of the IQUIST quantum information initiative on campus. The chair asked whether "field trips" could be organized for students in the class to get familiar with the ongoing experimental efforts in the Physics Department. In a further comment, Erhan wondered whether there would be an interest in pursuing educational development of virtual reality visualization, following the example of what is done in electromagnetics by Raluca Ilie. It was agreed that there may be a good chance to pursue funding with NSF. After the wide ranging discussion, the committee approved also this course for offering in Spring 2021 with unanimous consent and no objection.
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