Brendan Ray Builds Tool for Quantum Physics Research By Kirsten Heuring Media Inquiries- Associate Dean of Marketing and Communications, MCS - 412-268-9982 Carnegie Mellon University student Brendan Ray is pushing the boundaries of physics research, creating tools that could deliver insights into quantum physics and bring scientists closer to more advanced superconductors. “High energy and quantum physics are some of the most exciting topics in physics,” said Ray, a rising sophomore studying physics on the quantum physics track. Ray worked with Ben Hunt, associate professor of physics and co-director of the Pittsburgh Quantum Institute (PQI). Hunt investigates ways to create superconductors, which can conduct electricity without losing energy. One of the challenges is that superconductors typically work at extremely low temperatures, often near absolute zero, where atoms stop moving. Hunt and other researchers are investigating ways to develop structures that combine semiconductors and superconductors. Advancing these materials could accelerate the development of quantum computers, which can process multiple functions simultaneously instead of one at a time like traditional computers. To develop these materials, researchers need advanced semiconductor fabrication techniques. “Certain properties of semiconductors are highly tunable, which is why they are used to make transistors,” Hunt said. “It would be exciting to take advantage of some of those properties in devices for quantum computing.” Ray is building a photolithography stepper, a machine used widely in industrial manufacturing to pattern semiconductors. The system projects intricate patterns onto silicon chips with a UV-sensitive coating, enabling the chips to conduct electricity in specific ways. Because commercial lithography steppers can cost tens of thousands of dollars, Ray used documentation from The Hacker Fab at CMU, a student-run semiconductor fabrication facility, to guide the development of a more accessible machine. “It’s more time-effective and more cost-effective to have a homemade lithography stepper,” Ray said. “It’s