Deep Jariwala UT-ORNL Governor’s Chair for Quantum Devices 2027

The Governor’s Chair program was established by the State of Tennessee to attract world-class scientists to the region by offering a uniquely powerful dual appointment — simultaneous positions at the University of Tennessee (UT Knoxville) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). It is designed to break down the traditional wall between theoretical academic research and applied national laboratory science.

Unlike a standard university professorship, the Governor’s Chair allows scientists to teach and mentor students at UT while simultaneously leading advanced research projects at ORNL with access to facilities — including some of the world’s fastest supercomputers — that no university alone could provide. The program creates what planners call a “synergistic ecosystem”: the intellectual freedom of a university combined with the infrastructure muscle of a national laboratory.

Deep Jariwala currently serves as a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, where he has built a reputation as one of the leading voices in quantum materials and future computing. His research career spans three closely linked domains that together define the next generation of semiconductor and computing technology.

Quantum Materials — Jariwala explores materials that exhibit unique quantum mechanical properties at the atomic scale. These materials form the physical foundation of quantum computers, which can solve problems entirely beyond classical machines. Microelectronics — He works on making electronic devices smaller, faster, and more energy-efficient — a field of existential importance as traditional silicon-based chips approach their physical limits. Optoelectronics — His work also covers devices that merge optical (light) and electronic functions — enabling advanced sensors, communication systems, and imaging technologies.

With over 180 published research papers, thousands of academic citations, and multiple patents, Jariwala’s output is both prolific and practical — bridging theoretical quantum science and deployable technology.

Jariwala’s Governor’s Chair appointment creates two parallel tracks of impact. At University of Tennessee (UT Knoxville), he will mentor graduate and undergraduate students, develop new courses in quantum devices and materials, and serve as an intellectual anchor for the next generation of quantum scientists and engineers.

At Oak Ridge National Laboratory, he will lead advanced research projects in quantum devices, work with interdisciplinary teams spanning physics, chemistry, materials science, and engineering, and leverage ORNL’s world-class infrastructure — including its high-performance computing systems, which include some of the fastest supercomputers on Earth. One of Jariwala’s stated ambitions is to build an entirely new research facility focused on materials and device development, designed to serve as a hub for rapid prototyping of quantum devices and collaboration between academia, industry, and government.

Quantum devices harness the principles of quantum mechanics — the branch of physics governing matter at the subatomic scale — to perform functions that are physically impossible for classical devices. There are three broad categories of transformative quantum technologies:

Quantum Computing — Classical computers process information as binary bits (0 or 1). Quantum computers use qubits, which can exist as 0, 1, or both simultaneously (superposition). This allows them to solve certain categories of problems — drug discovery, materials simulation, cryptography — exponentially faster than any classical machine.

Quantum Sensors — Devices with measurement sensitivity far exceeding classical sensors. Applications span medical imaging, defence (detecting submarines and underground structures), geological surveying, and environmental monitoring. A quantum gravimeter, for example, can detect density variations underground that no conventional instrument can.

Quantum Communication — Secure communication systems using quantum key distribution (QKD), where any interception attempt is physically detectable. Quantum-encrypted communication is considered mathematically unbreakable by classical computers — making it the future backbone of defence and financial networks.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, is the largest science and energy national laboratory in the US Department of Energy system. Founded in 1943 as part of the Manhattan Project, ORNL has grown into a multidisciplinary research complex with global influence.

ORNL is home to some of the world’s most powerful supercomputers, including Frontier — which became the world’s first exascale supercomputer in 2022, capable of over one quintillion (10¹⁸) calculations per second. The lab also houses world-leading facilities in neutron science, materials research, nuclear energy, and climate modelling. Its national security, energy, and advanced manufacturing research programmes make it one of the most consequential research institutions on Earth — and an ideal partner for a quantum devices programme of Jariwala’s ambition.

Quantum research has become a key arena of geopolitical competition. China, Germany, Japan, the UK, and the EU are all investing heavily in quantum technologies — with China in particular viewed as a near-peer competitor to the US in quantum communications and quantum sensing. Against this backdrop, appointments like Jariwala’s carry strategic weight beyond pure science.

Jariwala’s dual UT-ORNL role is designed to do three things simultaneously: build scientific talent by training the next generation of quantum researchers; accelerate translation by moving discoveries from laboratory to application faster through industry collaboration; and strengthen US positioning in the global quantum race by anchoring world-class expertise within the national laboratory system rather than purely in private industry.

As an Indian-origin scientist, Jariwala’s appointment also carries symbolic significance — reflecting both the depth of the India-US science and technology relationship and the role of diaspora talent in powering American research leadership.