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Indian-origin professor at Northeastern wins $500,000 NSF Award
Northeastern’s Assistant Professor Aravind Nagulu develops compact, energy-efficient cryogenic chips to scale quantum systems for thousands of qubits.
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Aravind Nagulu / LinkedIn
Indian-origin assistant professor Aravind Nagulu at Northeastern University, Boston, received a $500,000 NSF CAREER Award in January 2025 for his groundbreaking project, ‘Cryogenic-CMOS and Superconducting Circuits for Scalable Quantum Systems’.
His work is focused on developing energy-efficient, low-cost cryogenic chips that are compact enough to scale quantum systems capable of supporting thousands of qubits. By addressing current infrastructure limitations in quantum computing, Nagulu's research aims to significantly reduce costs and improve the efficiency of quantum systems. These advancements could have far-reaching applications, including in satellite communication, space-based telescopes, and cryogenic electronics.
The quantum computing market was valued at more than $13 billion in 2022, Nagulu noted, and is projected to exceed $143 billion by 2032. This growth is expected to accelerate breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, cryptography, financial fraud detection, and energy research.
Nagulu's research extends beyond chip development. His team is also working to replace traditional bulky ferrite circulators with superconducting alternatives, which could further enhance quantum hardware efficiency.
“If we can create compact and cost-effective superconducting circulators, quantum computers could scale to larger numbers of qubits without requiring larger refrigerator space,” Nagulu said. “The research in quantum hardware is scaling rapidly, and its potential impact spans everything from medicine and drug development to complex chemical computations.”
In addition, he plans to create an interdisciplinary undergraduate course that merges electrical engineering with quantum computing, aiming to equip the next generation of engineers with the skills needed to push the boundaries of quantum technology.
“Often, research is hindered because researchers in one discipline don’t fully understand the needs of another,” Nagulu said.
“Some theories of quantum mechanics aren’t covered substantially in electrical engineering courses,” he said. His course will focus on understanding qubits from a circuit perspective, creating a bridge between electrical engineering and quantum computing disciplines.
Nagulu has a Ph.D. in Analog Design from Columbia University, along with a B.Tech in Electrical Engineering and an M.Tech in Microelectronics and VLSI from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras.
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