ABU DHABI — Abu Dhabi University’s (ADU) Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering in the College of Engineering (CoE), Dr. Montasir Qasymeh, has received a United States patent registered under "10,824,048 B2" to develop a first-of-its-kind device that will be capable of connecting superconducting quantum computers over significant distances.

Superconducting quantum computers are the extraordinary computers of the future that will surpass all current ones - and achieve ultrasensitive sensing and "unattackable" quantum communication networks. Unlike today’s conventional computers, quantum computers can process huge amounts of data and perform computations in powerful new ways that were never possible before. Potential applications of quantum computing include accelerating innovations in artificial intelligence and machine learning and tackling cybersecurity challenges.

Dr. Qasymeh’s device is composed of graphene, a substance that has been hailed as a "miracle material" due to its electrical properties and the fact that it is the world’s thinnest and second strongest material. Graphene has already innovated the technology sector and is being applied today to laptops, smartphones, and headphones.

Dr. Qasymeh has been working with graphene for the past seven years and has numerous publications that have studied this substance. The device converts a quantum microwave signal containing data to a laser beam using properly design graphene layers that are electrically connected and subjected to a laser pump.

Dr. Qasymeh said, "I am humbled and honored to be granted this US patent. This invention will advance the field of quantum computing in the UAE – taking us one step further towards the quantum age."

He added, "The coming era is an era of knowledge wealth, that brings with it the opportunity to advance all of humankind. I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to Abu Dhabi University for supporting this project and providing my team with access to its purpose-built academic facilities. I am proud and grateful for Abu Dhabi University’s continued investment in research."

Dr. Hamdi Sheibani, Dean of the College of Engineering at ADU commented, "We are extremely proud of yet another accomplishment from Dr. Qasymeh. This US patent for one of our professors is evidence of ADU’s culture of innovation and our continued commitment to the UAE Government’s National Agenda to diversify our economy and strengthen our research and innovation sector."

The project was developed with the funding of two important grants, the ADEK Award for Research Excellence grant, which was awarded for the research proposal "Graphene-Based Modulator for Passive Transmission and White Light Communications" from the Ministry of Education, and the Takamul grant from the Department of Economic Development, which was awarded for patent filing.

Dr. Qasymeh received a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada in 2010. — WAM