Dr. Russell R. Ceballos, Ph.D.

Dr. Russell R. Ceballos

Full-time Lecturer and Research Professor – Chicago State University

Research Scientist – Pittsburgh Quantum Institute (PQI)

Visiting Faculty Fellow – Fermi National Laboratory

Director of the Quantum Innovation and Research Center (QuIRC):  

QuIRC strives to a.) address the need for the innovation of quantum, and quantum-inspired, solutions to problems encountered as the existing technology industry converges with the rapidly developing quantum information science and technology industry, b.) identify and capitalize on quantum-oriented, as well as quantum-inspired, entrepreneurial opportunities, and c.) facilitate inter-, trans-, and multi-disciplinary quantum-based research projects in collaboration with Chicago State University affiliated institutions and industry associates.  QuIRC is run in collaboration with the Innovation Lab at Chicago State University.

Research

Quantum Networks:  Co-PI on a Department of Energy grant designed to help commission new quantum network nodes as a part of the “Illinois-Express Quantum Network“ (IEQNET) for the development of the next generation quantum internet working with Panagiotis Spentzouris (e.g. QUANTUM INTERNET).  Fermilab already has a 3-node scalable optical quantum network called Fermilab Quantum NETwork (FQNET), and the IEQNET research project aims to extend this project to architect, develop, as well as demonstrate complex network topologies and hybrid quantum-classical information shuttling protocols on a metropolitan-scale transparent optical quantum network. 

Quantum Coherent Dynamics of Green Fluorescent Protein:  Currently working with Dr. Prem Kumar to develop a theoretical model for the coherent quantum dynamics of enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein (EGFP) for a.) the generation of entangled photon states and the direct application of quantum communication techniques to fluorescent protein-pigment systems, as well as for biomimetic quantum sensing. 

Quantum Materials:  External Member of the Pittsburgh Quantum Institute (PQI) as a theoretical research scientist helping to characterize coupling mechanisms between silicon quantum dots and various 2-D quantum materials for the purpose of a.) reliably reproducing scalable, error-free integrated quantum computer chips and for b.) reliably interconnecting qubits via electron waveguides using these state-of-the-art silicon quantum dots that are capable of being put into commercial production.  As part of this research thrust, Dr. Ceballos is a co-PI, as well as executive leadership on an NSF grant proposal to establish CSU as part of a national Science and Technology Center run out of the Quantum Pittsburgh Institute in partnership with Intel. 

Curriculum Development: Currently co-PI on 2 NSF funded grants, one titled QuSTEAM working with the University of Chicago-Quantum Exchange research center to help develop curriculum and an assessment strategies for introductory undergraduate Quantum Information Science (QIS) courses as one of five co-Principal Investigators, along with the director of the University of Chicago Quantum Exchange Dr. David Awschalom, as well as another at CSU to further develop an advanced undergraduate quantum optics laboratory course, and establish a new Quantum Engineering Science concentration track within the Physics Bachelor's degree program at Chicago State University.

Quantum Optics Laboratory:  Undergraduate students will be working in the quantum optics laboratory at CSU, as well as learn how to program Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) circuit-boards to program network control functions essential for the successful implementation of quantum teleportation protocols that are integral to the functioning of IEQNET.  The undergraduate quantum optics teaching laboratory in SCI-113 is equipped with a 5’ x 3’ optical breadboard, nanosecond pulsed lasers, BBO crystals, polarizing beam splitters, noise isolating optical breadboard legs, quarter and half-wave plates, as well as single-photon avalanche photo-diode detectors to perform fundamental tests of quantum mechanics using photons. These experiments include the demonstration of single-photon interference, delayed-choice quantum eraser, EPR steering, entanglement witness measurements, as well as Bell and Hardy tests of non-local realism.

Current thesis students: 6

Past thesis students: 2 

Theory of Open Quantum Systems:  Worked as a part of a team investigating the physical conditions and limitations therein imposed on open quantum systems when using completely positive reduced dynamical quantum maps. The goal was to determine which classes of global unitary operators (acting on the total system-environment space), along with which types of system-environment correlations, lead to novel mechanisms for the witnessing of entanglement. 

Quantum Biophysics (a):  Worked with a research group at the Pittsburgh Quantum Institute to investigate the possibility of utilizing the inherent spin-orbit coupling in certain chiral biomolecules, proteins, and oxides to achieve quantum transport in these systems for the fabrication of novel quantum devices using self-assembled DNA origami nano-structures as molecular scaffolding.

Quantum Biophysics (b):  Contributed to the investigation of the quantum coherent nature thought to underly exciton transfer in the Fenna-Mathews-Olson photosynthetic pigment-protein complex, as well as performed theoretical research investigating the quantum mechanical nature of K+ ion-channels.

Publications

R. Ceballos. “G-Consistent Subsets and Reduced Dynamical Quantum Maps,” Ph.D. Dissertation, https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2017PhDT.......135C (2017).

Byrd, R. Ceballos, and E. Chitambar. “Open System Quantum Evolution and the Assumption of Complete Positivity (A Tutorial),” International Journal of Quantum Information, Vol. 14, No. 6, 1640023 (2016).

Chitambar, A. Abu-Nada, R. Ceballos, and M. Byrd. “Restrictions on Initial System-Environment Correlations Based on the Dynamics of an Open Quantum System,” Phys. Rev. A. 92, 052110 (2015).

Invited Conference Talks:

Langenhop Lecture Series and Mathematics Conference.  Department of Mathematics – Southern Illinois University – Carbondale.  “Quantum Dynamical Maps and G-Consistent Subsets of the Incoherent Unitary Group.” (May 2017).

Conference Proceedings:

Zuniga-Hansen, N., Ceballos, R., and Byrd, M. “Role of the different factors contributing to long lived quantum coherence in the Fenna-Mathews-Olson complex,” American Physical Society, APS March Meeting (Mar. 2013).

Ceballos, R. “Synchronous Oscillations and Phase Encoding in the Brain,” Quantum Mind – Consciousness, Quantum Physics, and The Brain Conference, Tucson, Arizona (Mar. 2003).

Awards
2020	National Science Foundation	$20,000 QuSTEAM Grant
2020	Department of Energy	$14,000 Summer Fellowship
2020	NSF Curriculum Development	$3,778 Research Grant
2019	Center for Teaching and Research Excellence	$10,000 Seed Grant
2019	Dept. of Chemistry, Physics, and Engineering Studies	$10,000 for Quantum Optics
2019	NSF Curriculum Development	$3,000 Research Grant
2019	NASA/Illinois Space Grant Consortium (ISGC)	$3,778 Research Award
2018	NASA/Illinois Space Grant Consortium (ISGC)	$3,778 Research Award