Chun-Wei Liu receives Rackham International Student Fellowship

Chun-Wei Liu, doctoral student in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), was awarded a 2024 Rackham International Student Fellowship. This fellowship is designed to support outstanding international students in their education and research.

Liu is interested in the interactions among closely-spaced groups of atoms. “Atoms arranged in close proximity can interact with light fields in a collective manner, leading to either constructive or destructive interference, known as superradiance or subradiance,” he said. “By assembling materials atom-by-atom, our architecture may enable the development of novel quantum devices with unprecedented capabilities.”

As he earned his bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering at National Cheng Kung University in Tainan, Taiwan, Liu became fascinated with physics and its intersections with computer science. He refined this interest in applied physics and quantum optics through a master’s degree at Columbia University, working with ultracold atoms caught in optical traps. With this experience, he joined the Quantum Optics Lab to work with ECE Prof. Alex Burgers on the real-world challenge of scaling quantum computing.

In his current PhD work, Liu uses optical tweezers to manipulate alkaline-earth-like atoms, explore their interactions, and develop quantum devices like atomic mirrors and cavities. Liu and Burgers have already built a custom experimental chamber for this work, developed a novel coding technique to streamline the quantum data processing, and modeled the predicted collective effects of the atomic structures they will make. Liu’s work in the Quantum Optics Lab was a critical part of the successful proposal for an ASFOR grant focused on atom-photon interactions.

“Chun-Wei can get to the bottom of any issue or solve almost any problem,” Burgers said. “He is a fantastic scientist and I expect great things from his career. I cannot think of any student more deserving of this award than Chun-Wei.”

Liu is optimistic about his future in the Quantum Optics Lab and beyond. “As I move forward in my career, I will carry with me the lessons I have learned at Michigan—not just about atoms and photons, but about the power of community, the importance of diversity, and the endless possibilities that arise when we dare to push the boundaries of what we know,” he said.