Crest center for emergent chiral quantum matter

The National Science Foundation Division of Undergraduate Education awarded Norfolk State University $4,999,998 on October 1, 2026, to establish and operate the CREST Center for Emergent Chiral Quantum Matter (CECQM) under the STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076).

The center will investigate quantum materials whose properties are governed by chirality—structural handedness that produces mirror-image materials with fundamentally different quantum behavior. The research will address how chirality influences electron, spin, and collective excitation behavior and how these effects can be leveraged to create new functionality in quantum devices. The work aims to advance understanding of quantum materials to support the nation's long-term technological competitiveness, economic prosperity, and national security.

CECQM will integrate research with education and workforce development, providing research opportunities for high-school, undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral researchers in quantum science and engineering. The center will strengthen collaborations among universities, national laboratories, industry, and community partners to develop the highly skilled workforce needed for the growing quantum economy.

Performance occurs at Norfolk State University, Norfolk, Virginia. The award period runs from October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2031. This project grant supports the NSF CREST program's mission to help emerging research institutions operate centers that integrate research and education to elevate institutions to national research competitiveness and advance STEM knowledge.

Abstract

The NSF centers for research excellence in science and technology (crest) program supports emerging research institutions (eris) in operating centers that integrate research and education to elevate institutions to national research competitiveness, advance stem knowledge, and develop the stem workforce. The crest center for emergent chiral quantum materials (cecqm) at norfolk state university will investigate a class of quantum materials whose properties are governed by chirality, a form of structural handedness analogous to the difference between right- and left-handed threads on a screw. Although these structures are mirror images of one another, they are fundamentally different and can exhibit dramatically different quantum behavior. Chirality has recently emerged as an important organizing principle in quantum materials and is associated with novel electronic, magnetic, optical, and superconducting phenomena that may form the foundation for future quantum technologies. The center seeks to address fundamental scientific questions regarding how chirality influences the behavior of electrons, spins, and collective excitations and how these effects can be utilized to create new functionality in quantum devices. By advancing the understanding of quantum materials, the project will promote the progress of science and contribute to the nation's long-term technological competitiveness, economic prosperity, and national security. The center will also establish an integrated research, education, and workforce development program that provides research opportunities for high-school, undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral researchers in quantum science and engineering, and strengthens collaborations among universities, national laboratories, industry, and community partners. These activities will help develop the highly skilled workforce needed to support the rapidly growing quantum economy. The goal of cecqm is to establish a nationally recognized center for research and education focused on emergent chiral quantum phenomena in materials and devices. The research program is organized around three synergistic thrusts: (1) probing topological and superconducting states in chiral crystals, (2) topological spin textures in chiral magnets, and (3) saw-mediated collective excitations and chirality in magnetic heterostructures. The center will combine crystal growth, nanofabrication, advanced structural, magnetic, electronic, optical, and microwave characterization, ultrafast spectroscopy, low-temperature and high-magnetic-field measurements, and theoretical modeling to investigate the role of chirality in determining electronic structure, magnetic order, topological excitations, and coupled quasiparticle dynamics. Research activities will span the complete discovery sequence from materials synthesis and characterization to device fabrication and measurement. The anticipated outcomes include new understanding of topological and superconducting states in chiral crystals, the emergence and control of topological spin textures in chiral magnets, and the interaction of surface acoustic waves with collective excitations in magnetic heterostructures. These advances will establish fundamental design principles for chirality-driven quantum materials and provide a scientific foundation for future quantum information, sensing, communication, and spintronic technologies. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are not planned for this award.