PHYS 523 :: Physics Illinois :: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Topics

Material and Schedule 

The offered focus areas are introduced below: 

Cryogenic technologies for quantum industries 

Quantum computer development is rapidly approaching the stage where scalable architectures and sensing technologies can enable practical, real-world applications. The scalability of quantum technologies—whether for computing, networking, or sensing—depends not only on advances in qubit design but also on the ability to build and maintain cryogenic platforms that are efficient, modular, and industrially deployable. As such, the cryogenic infrastructure forms a critical backbone for this emerging industry, enabling the extreme low-temperature environments to operate quantum devices such as superconducting qubits, cryogenic sensors, and ultra-stable quantum communication components. These systems typically operate at millikelvin temperatures, necessitating advanced dilution refrigerators, high-reliability cryocoolers, and robust thermal management solutions. As the quantum industry moves from laboratory-scale experiments to commercial-scale applications, a specialized workforce that can innovate and support the cryogenic infrastructure is in demand.

The MEng program at Loomis Laboratory aims to develop a workforce capable of supporting the cryogenic infrastructure needs of quantum industries, offering a multi-tiered training program that bridges physics, engineering, and practical technical skills. The curriculum includes low-temperature physics, thermodynamics, and superconductivity with applied expertise in refrigeration engineering, precision manufacturing, and materials science. The program offers hands-on experience with dilution refrigerators, vacuum systems, and cryogenic electronics, which is complemented by instruction in automation, cryogenic safety, and system integration for large-scale industrial use. 

The centerpiece of our cryo-training module is a year-long project to construct a dilution refrigerator from scratch. Students will learn practical technical skills to design, construct, troubleshoot and solve problems needed to create a sub-Kelvin environement needed to operate quantum sensors. The MEng program also prepares individuals for diverse roles—ranging from cryogenic technicians to system engineers and applied scientists—while also ensuring adaptability as technologies evolve.

Muon Tomography for commercial and security applications 

Muon tomography (or muography) is an imaging technique that uses cosmic ray muons to create images of the internal structure of objects by analyzing how these muons interact with matter through absorption or scattering. Cosmic muons are the final decay products of nuclear interactions of cosmic rays (nuclei or elementary particles) in our Earth's upper athmosphere. About one cosmic muon per second traverses an area of the size of a human hand on sea level. 

Muons, the "heavy siblings" of electrons, are point-like charged particles. They interact with matter electromagnetically. The effects exploited by muography include energy loss (top image) and trajectory deviation (bottom image).  

Since muons are highly penetrating, muography can image through significantly thicker materials than traditional methods like X-rays. This technique opens up a non-destructive way to investigate the density and composition of large structures, ranging from volcanoes over pyramids to nuclear waste and fissile material. [Click image for reference]

 Source: Nature 2018, https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-05254-2
In this focus area, the students will, in collaboration with other students and instructors, build a muon hodoscope to image an object of their choice. The hodoscope will consist of layers of tracking and trigger detectors and its goal is to measure deviations of the trajectories of the incident cosmic muons caused by the object to image. To inform the design and materials of the hodoscope, construction will be preceeded by simulations to study the passage of charged particles through matter and R&D of  a trigger scintillator and a tracking detector (for example drift tubes, see image). [Click image for reference]

 

See the focus area Muon Tomography page for further course details. 

 

Radiation monitoring for extreme environments 

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