Doctoral student wins fellowship to advance quantum research
(From left) Amy Cook, Muhid Hassan and Sarah Patterson are among the engineering students receiving 2025-2026 graduate fellowships and advancing high-profile research at the University of Arizona.
Haq Fellow Amy Cook is tackling one of quantum computing’s greatest obstacles: stabilizing superposition to process vast amounts of data. Superposition allows units of data to exist in two states simultaneously rather than one, multiplying computing power exponentially.
This pioneering research was supported with a 2025-2026 Subhanul “Samuel” Haq Fellowship. The Haq Endowed Scholarship fund honors the Haq family and their daughter, U of A alum Karen Haq, class of 1993.
Graduate fellowships play a vital role in funding students engaged in critical research at the College of Engineering.
Scaling material for advanced computing
The materials science and engineering doctoral student researches how materials can produce phi-bits – topological acoustic waves that transfer data – at the New Frontiers of Sound Science and Technology Center.
“Understanding these properties can help us to create scalable, low-cost computing systems that function in ways similar to theoretical quantum computing platforms,” she said.
Quantum computers are expected to surpass traditional computing in data storage, drug discovery and artificial intelligence. But traditional qubits – subatomic particles that transfer data – are sensitive to heat and radiation, quickly losing their computing power.
Phi-bits could be a low-cost alternative. They can function at room temperature and withstand environmental noise that would otherwise destroy qubits.
Working with adviser Pierre Deymier, the NewFoS center director and MSE professor, Cook is collecting data on phi-bit behavior to identify materials best suited to make quantum computers a reality.
Cook, who earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s degree in MSE at the U of A, values the fellowship for more than financial support.
“I feel like I can make positive and meaningful contributions to not only our academic world, but to our country and communities,” said Cook, the only Haq Fellow from the college.