UCC researchers secure €6.2m for pioneering research infrastructure projects
Congratulations to Dr Zili Li, School of Engineering & Architecture, who along with other leading researchers in UCC has secured 6.2 million Euro in funding under the Research Ireland Infrastructure Programme, strengthening national capability in advanced materials, semiconductors and quantum technologies.
A cornerstone of this success is the new Quantum Sensing Laboratory (QSL), Ireland’s first dedicated facility for quantum sensing and quantum-enabled gravimetry. The initiative involves the pioneering work of Professor Alix McCollam, who as Director of UCC Futures Quantum & Photonics is helping to shape an ambitious vision for quantum and photonics research at UCC.
This €1.56m interdisciplinary project is led by Dr Zili LI (UCC School of Engineering and Architecture) with world‑leading expertise from Professor Alix McCollam, (School of Physics), and Professor Anita Maguire (School of Chemistry University College Cork).
The QSL will enable:
-Development of portable, cost‑effective quantum sensors
-Translation of SQUID‑based technologies from lab to field
-New capabilities for geophysical, chemical and materials research
-Stronger national and international collaboration in quantum science
Dr. Zili Li said: "The QSL laboratory aims to build sensors that can "see" through the ground using quantum technology. The quantum sensors can reshape the detection of sinkholes and caves on Earth, with the future potential to map hidden lunar lava tubes for human habitats. From the Earth’s subsurface to the lunar underground, UCC scientists, researchers and civil engineers are pioneering the vital technologies required for the next generation."
School of Engineering and Architecture
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