QMSI Seminar: Prof. Joel Wang, MIT and New York University

Layering Quantum Innovation: From van der Waals Materials to Quantum Technology 

Achieving scalable, fault-tolerant quantum computing demands a deep synergy between material science, device fabrication, electrical engineering, and fundamental physics. In this context, van der Waals (vdW) materials—spanning semimetals, insulators, semiconductors, ferromagnets, superconductors, and topological insulators—offer a compelling platform for next-generation quantum devices. The ability to assemble vdW heterostructures with atomic precision opens new opportunities for integrating these materials into superconducting circuits, enhancing qubit control, reducing device footprints, and suppressing unwanted couplings. Conversely, superconducting quantum circuits and cQED techniques provide a powerful toolset for probing quantum materials, offering complementary insights to those obtained from conventional transport measurements.

In this talk, I will discuss the integration of vdW materials into superconducting quantum circuits and their transformative potential for quantum technologies. I will highlight our recent studies on the kinetic inductance of 2D superconductors, including magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene (MATBG) and NbSe₂. Leveraging cQED techniques, we have uncovered key insights into pairing symmetry and the role of quantum geometry in flat-band superconductors. We have also demonstrated vdW superconductors in the clean limit with record-high sheet kinetic inductance, positioning them as promising building blocks for high-coherence, compact quantum circuits. I will also share our latest results on all-vdW, merged-element transmon qubits, which achieve coherence times of up to 100 microseconds, and conclude with a forward-looking perspective on the path toward wafer-scale, vdW-based quantum circuits.

Speakers

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  Joel Wang, PhD

  Research Scientist
  Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  Dr. Joel Wang is a Research Scientist in the Engineering Quantum Systems (EQuS) group at MIT. Dr. Wang explored the integration of vdW materials into superconducting quantum circuits. His team achieved the first coherence control in vdW materials via a graphene-based transmon qubit, verified the low-loss characteristics of hBN, and established the foundation for high-coherence 2D-material-based devices. Most recently, his team developed a microwave probe for 2D superconductors to measure superfluid stiffness, revealing pairing symmetries and quantum geometric properties. He is now exploring fully vdW superconducting qubit circuits using wafer-scale 2D superconductors and will join NYU Physics Department as a faculty member in 2026.