Rick Mukherjee becomes inaugural director of Tennessee university’s Quantum Center
UTC Quantum Center aims to conduct fundamentally path-breaking and economically impactful quantum research while preparing a quantum-ready workforce
By Arun Kumar
Indian origin scientist Dr. Rick Mukherjee has become the inaugural director of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s Quantum Center, the focal point for a program in Quantum Information Science and Engineering (QISE).
Mukherjee’s arrival is the latest step toward creating a UTC program of excellence in QISE with a focus on education and workforce development and on establishing use cases for QISE in Urban Systems and Energy Systems, according to a university press release.
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With $3.5 million in funding from NIST, an agency of the US Department of Commerce, the UTC Quantum Center will focus on four areas of activity: infrastructure; education and outreach; use of case-driven research and development; and business development to ensure the Center’s sustainability.
“I am deeply impressed by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s commitment to advancing quantum research, which stands as a testament to the University’s foresight and dedication to shaping the future of technology,” said Mukherjee. “Accepting the position of director of the UTC Quantum Center is not only a tremendous honor, it’s a unique opportunity to contribute to this exciting vision.”
Mukherjee served as scientist at the Center for Optical Quantum Technologies at the University of Hamburg in Germany since April 2022. Prior to that, he was a research associate from 2018 to 2022 at Imperial College London, a global top 10 university in science, engineering, business and medicine.
After serving as a visiting scientist at the Harvard Institute for Theoretical Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics in summer 2017, Mukherjee held the post of visiting scholar at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research in Bhopal from 2017 to 2018. He completed a two-year postdoctoral research fellowship at Rice University in Houston in 2017.
Mukherjee earned a doctorate at the Max Planck Institute for Physics of Complex Systems in Dresden, Germany. He completed two master’s degrees. One is in theoretical and mathematical physics from the University of Cambridge in England; and the other is in astrophysics from Jacobs University in Bremen, Germany. He earned a bachelor’s degree in physics from St. Xavier’s University in Mumbai, India.
“The focus on quantum information science and engineering is a new direction for UTC,” said UTC Vice Chancellor for Research Reinhold Mann. “The Quantum Center represents important opportunities for our students, the community and UTC research collaborations with other institutions.”
“Quantum science is critical now due to its potential to solve complex global challenges, drive technological breakthroughs and reshape industries. With classical computing reaching its limits, quantum computing offers new frontiers in areas like cryptography, AI, drug discovery and energy,” says Mukherjee.
“It also addresses urgent needs in cybersecurity and climate change, while fostering economic growth and global competition. By converging with other advanced fields, quantum science is poised to revolutionize technology and expand our understanding of the universe.”
From a fundamental aspect, Mukherjee’s quantum-related research in Germany “involved exploiting the light-matter interaction in many-body systems to simulate complex emergent behavior in matter, often unimaginatively dubbed as ‘quantum simulation.’
“From a more practical point of view, I was involved in developing quantum algorithms for solving real-world optimization problems way faster than classical computers when run on quantum computers. As part of this project, I worked closely with various data-driven companies such as logistics company Hermes & Otto as well as the airline company Lufthansa.”
“The UTC Quantum Center’s main objectives will be to conduct fundamentally path-breaking and economically impactful quantum research while preparing a quantum-ready workforce that will put Chattanooga on the global map for quantum innovation,” according to Mukherjee. “The main research themes will be focused around quantum-based simulation of many-body systems, quantum control theory, quantum information, quantum sensing and networking.”
“As the Center embarks on this newfound path, it will set up funds to attract new talent and expand its research collaborations within the Tennessee system and beyond,” he said. “While strengthening the research team, quantum education will play an important role. To that end, tailor-made certificate programs have been developed to train students and working professionals from all backgrounds in the traditional fields of quantum science and technology.”
Recognizing 100 years since the initial development of quantum mechanics, the United Nations has declared 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology.
Celebrating this milestone, the UTC Quantum Center is organizing a quantum technology workshop in June 2025 with world-leading physicists from leading institutions in Europe and the US to attend and give talks, according to Mukherjee.