School Notes: School of Engineering & Applied Science
July/August 2025

Quantum science certificate

Addressing a critical need for interdisciplinary quantum expertise, Yale College will introduce a new certificate in quantum science and engineering in the fall. The certificate program will offer undergraduates a structured pathway into this rapidly advancing field. Managed by the Yale Quantum Institute, the program is designed to attract students from across Yale Engineering and Faculty of Arts and Sciences departments, including applied physics, computer science, electrical and computer engineering, statistics and data science, physics, and chemistry. The certificate requires five course credits—one core course in quantum information and communication, plus four electives from approved courses across various departments.

Cooler chips, better devices

In smartphones, medical equipment, and other devices, finding better ways to cool the tiny computer chips inside them is critical to improving their longevity and performance. A breakthrough by a team of researchers led by Professor Fengnian Xia could be key to doing so. The researchers leveraged the unusual properties of phonon-polaritons, a type of quasiparticle, to discover a new way to dissipate the energy of high-speed electrons through the generation of long-wavelength infrared light. In addition to cooling down chips, this new light-emitting mechanism can be harnessed to develop more efficient light sources for sensors and communications technologies. 

A protein-folding mystery solved

Researchers led by Professor Corey O’Hern developed computational models for numerous proteins and measured their cores to determine how densely packed these proteins were when they folded. They discovered that for every protein, 55 percent of the core space was occupied by atoms. It’s a detail that could lead to answers for the many questions that remain about proteins, their functions, and how they fold—all of which are critical to every living organism. It could also lead to new ways to design proteins for drug therapeutics, novel biomaterials, and other applications.