Featured Projects
Quantum Sensing Microscopy
At Oak Ridge National Lab, I built a room-temperature quantum sensing microscope. I designed and conducted experiments to probe Johnson noise using boron vacancy centers in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN).
QSO of Purdue Website
As President (and former Vice President) of QSO of Purdue, I led the redesign of Purdue's Quantum Student Organization website to enhance user experience, automation, security, and organizational visibility.
CrysTool Hub
I single-handedly developed a full-stack web application with publicly available tools to accelerate materials research by automating complex calculations and synthesis plans.
Twisted 2D Materials
At Purdue's Quantum Matter and Devices Group, I'm developing a method to create twisted semiconductor TMD bilayers with a manipulable twist angle, leveraging superlubricity with piezoelectricity and magnetism.
Skills & Technologies
Programming & Languages
- Python (TensorFlow, Qiskit, Flask)
- JavaScript (Next.js, React)
- SystemVerilog, C, C++, Java
- MATLAB, R, LaTeX, HTML/CSS
Software, CAD, & Sim
- LTspice, KiCad, Arduino
- Onshape & Fusion 360
- Quantum ESPRESSO (DFT), SRIM
- Git & GitHub, Google Workspace
Nanofab & Processing
- 2D Exfoliation & Dry Stacking
- CVT & Flux Crystal Growth
- Deterministic Heterostructures
- HIM, AFM Lithography
Characterization & Optics
- s-SNOM Near-Field Microscopy
- XRD & Raman Spectroscopy
- TCSPC, ODMR, Cryogenics
- PPMS, SQUID, Laser Optics
Community & Leadership
Quantum Student Organization (QSO of Purdue)
WebsitePurdue University's leading student organization for quantum information science and engineering, fostering a community of learners, researchers, and future quantum pioneers.
Apr 2026 - Present
President
Direct all operations for Purdue’s 500+ member premiere quantum club, organizing Purdue’s quantum events (e.g. Quantum Open House, Spring into Quantum), lab tours, industry relations, and technical workshops. Develop the org’s website to improve user experience, automation, security, and organizational visibility. Create and teach weekly quantum crash courses published on YouTube and oversee student research project groups.
Aug 2024 - Apr 2026
Vice President
Managed funds for Purdue's largest quantum events, oversaw all club sectors, led the complete website overhaul, and corresponded with advising faculty.
Jan 2026 - Present
Physical & Motorized Bloch Sphere Project Lead
Founded and lead a 12-student hardware team building an open-source physical 3-axis motorized Bloch sphere hardware platform interfaced with Qiskit for real-time quantum state visualization. Working to publish and release to classes.
Midwest Quantum Collaboratory (MQC)
WebsiteMidwest regional quantum ecosystem connecting 10+ universities, national laboratories (Argonne, Fermilab), and industry partners.
Sep 2025 - Present
Student Task Force Member & Purdue Representative
Represented Purdue University on the MQC Student Task Force across 10+ Midwestern universities, national laboratories (Argonne, Fermilab), and industry partners. Deployed and managed the collaboratory’s digital infrastructure (official website, LinkedIn, Slack) for 300+ regional members. Delivered an oral presentation and poster at the MQC Entanglement Conference to 150+ academic and industrial researchers.
Quantum Coalition (QC)
WebsiteInternational 501(c)(3) non-profit connecting university quantum computing clubs globally to democratize access to quantum education and build a diverse international community.
Sep 2025 - Present
Executive Board Member (Membership Manager & Learning Resources Lead)
Manage international membership expansion across 40+ university chapters and facilitate collaboration on events like QSITE. Lead global team building a centralized library of quantum resources powering an AI-assisted quantum education platform.
Feb 2025 - Present
Quantum Hackathon Organizer & Technical Judge (FLiQ & Q-volution)
Under the Quantum Coalition, co-organized global FLiQ hackathon with the UN’s ITU, IonQ, IBM, Classiq, and more for 150+ participants; designed and judged technical art track challenges with Princeton and MOTH Quantum. Moderated AI for Good program with Quantum Village Co-Founder & Director Victoria Kumaran to 500+ viewers. Served as a technical judge for Infleqtion’s Social Impact challenge for Girls in Quantum’s Q-volution Hackathon.
IEEE Systems, Man, and Cybernetics Society (SMC)
WebsitePurdue University chapter dedicated to systems science, human-machine systems, and computational intelligence.
Aug 2024 - Present
Research Group Member
Analyzed multi-channel EEG datasets in Python to isolate spectral power density biomarkers for early-stage concussion detection.
Research & Professional Experience
Oct 2025 - Present
Nanometa Group - Purdue Birck Nanotechnology Center
Student Researcher (PIs: V.M. Shalaev, A. Boltasseva, A. Banerjee)
Oct 2025 - PresentSynthesized high-purity single crystals of anisotropic 2D MoOCl2 oxyhalides via Chemical Vapor Transport (CVT), confirming monoclinic C2/m phase purity via Single-Crystal XRD (R-factor = 3.21%) and Raman spectroscopy. Mapped propagation of visible-frequency Hyperbolic Plasmon Polaritons (HPPs) in MoOCl2 using s-SNOM near-field optical microscopy under 1.8 µm excitation, demonstrating extreme spatial mode compression down to 483 nm (n = 1) key to next-generation sub-diffraction nanophotonic computing, sensing, and superlensing.
Open Quantum Initiative (OQI) & Purdue SURF Fellow (PI: Vladimir Shalaev)
May 2026 - Jul 2026Selected for the Open Quantum Initiative (OQI) Fellowship by Chicago Quantum Exchange (CQE) and Purdue SURF Fellowship to execute advanced quantum nanophotonics research; awarded SURF honors. Achieved up to 350% polarization-dependent single photon emission modulation at 4.5 K by engineering hBN/WSe2/MoOCl2 2D heterostructures with ALD Al2O3 dielectric spacers, laying groundwork for tunable quantum photonic components. Engineered the first deterministically twisted MXene bilayers via AFM lithography and polymer dry-transfer techniques to explore moiré-induced optoelectronic phenomena. Constructed custom Near-Infrared (NIR) cryogenic optical collection and excitation setups with high-NA objectives and spectral filters for low-temperature exciton and silicon nitride single photon emission diagnostics.
May 2025 - Aug 2025
Quantum Heterostructures Group - Oak Ridge National Lab
RSI Research Intern (PI: Benjamin Lawrie)
Designed and assembled a custom room-temperature quantum sensing microscope system integrated with a compact optics train. Developed a novel quantum sensing fabrication protocol for shallow boron vacancy (V_B^-) spin defects in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN). Quantified quantum decoherence from gold waveguides by automating nanoscale Johnson noise measurements in Python and MATLAB, focusing on T1 relaxometry and distance dependence to address key limits in quantum device scaling. Patterned gradient defect dosage arrays via Helium Ion Microscope (HIM) irradiation to map spin-spin interactions.
Jan 2025 - Jun 2025
Quantum Matter and Devices Group - Purdue University
Student Researcher (PI: Yong P. Chen)
Fabricated twisted TMD semiconductor heterostructures exploiting inter-layer superlubricity for precise twist-angle control, engineering tunable moiré superlattices for reconfigurable quantum electronics.
Jul 2023 - Aug 2024
Emergent Crystalline Matter Group - University of TN, Knoxville
Full-Time Paid Research Intern (PI: David Mandrus)
Grew 15+ novel single crystals (high-entropy alloys, Kagome lattices, topological superconductors) via flux and CVT growth methods, validating phase purity via XRD, SQUID, and PPMS. Accelerated crystal synthesis by creating CrysTool Hub, an open-source web application (Next.js, Python, Flask) that automates stoichiometric calculations and furnace plans. Still used to this day.
Jun 2022
Joint Science & Technology Institute (JSTI) West
Green Microbial Factory Group Member (PI: Raul Gonzalez)
Awarded a fully-paid internship by the DOE & DTRA to work with Los Alamos National Lab scientists. Studied and presented on the biotechnological potential of cyanobacteria, finding optimum strains for photosynthetic bioplastic production.
Publications & Presentations
Orientation-Dependent Excitonic Coupling and Purcell Enhancement in MoOCl2-TMDC Heterostructures
Manley, R. Y., Banerjee, A., Shalaev, V. M., Boltasseva, A., et al.
Purdue SURF Honors Technical Paper & Poster Presentation
View DetailsProbing Johnson Noise with Shallow Spin Defects in 2D hBN
Manley, R. Y., Lawrie, B., et al.
Symposium Oral Presentation, TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition, San Diego, CA
View DetailsAwards & Honors
Summer 2026
Open Quantum Initiative (OQI) Fellowship & Purdue SURF Honors
Chicago Quantum Exchange (CQE) & Purdue University
Selected for the prestigious regional OQI Fellowship and Purdue SURF program to conduct advanced quantum nanophotonics research at Birck Nanotechnology Center, earning SURF honors for technical paper and presentation.
2026
Outstanding Sophomore in ECE
Elmore Family School of ECE, Purdue University
1 of only 4 ECE students selected by faculty to recognize exceptional academic performance, engineering leadership, and high-impact undergraduate research in Electrical and Computer Engineering.
2026 - 2027
Qualcomm Inclusion Scholarship in ECE
Qualcomm & Purdue University
Merit scholarship awarded in recognition of academic excellence, technical leadership, and active contributions toward inclusion in engineering.
2026 - 2027
Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) Scholarship
Office of Undergraduate Research, Purdue University
Competitive scholarship awarded to support outstanding undergraduate research contributions in quantum materials and device physics.
2025 - 2026
Charles W. Brown ECE Scholarship
Elmore Family School of ECE, Purdue University
A merit-based scholarship awarded by the Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering to students demonstrating exceptional academic achievement and promise.
All Semesters
Dean's List & Semester Honors
College of Engineering & College of Science, Purdue University
Consistent recognition for maintaining top-tier academic standing and high grade point average throughout all semesters.