IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques
Special Issue on
Quantum-Enhanced Microwave Technologies and Systems
Submission Deadline: October 31st, 2026
Publication: March 31st, 2027
Motivation:
The special issue Quantum-Enhanced Microwave Technologies and Systems aims to highlight breakthrough research where quantum mechanics is leveraged to break classical performance limits in sensitivity, resolution, bandwidth, and dynamic range. As traditional microwave and millimeter-wave engineering face critical bottlenecks—such as thermal noise floors, the Chu-Harrington limit, and diffraction boundaries—conventional approaches are reaching a plateau. This issue focuses on the critical transition from “engineering for quantum” to “quantum for engineering”. By exploiting quantum phenomena like superposition, entanglement, and atomic coherence as functional resources, this issue seeks to bridge the gap between quantum physics and microwave engineering, showcasing how quantum-enabled devices can deliver tangible advantages over state-of-the-art classical counterparts.
Scope:
We invite contributions that demonstrate rigorous theoretical foundations backed by experimental validation or high-fidelity modeling, targeting critical microwave and millimeter-wave applications. Prospective authors are encouraged to submit original contributions in the following areas, with a specific focus on engineering breakthroughs and system-level performance:
- Quantum Electromagnetics & Computing
Theoretical foundations and computational methods for quantum electromagnetics, including macroscopic quantum electrodynamics, field/circuit quantization, and open dissipative quantum systems
Application of quantum algorithms (e.g., VQE, QAOA) and quantum annealing to solve complex electromagnetic optimization problems
Quantum approaches for inverse scattering and antenna synthesis with exponential speedup potential
- Quantum-Enhanced Amplification & Detection
Design and implementation of Josephson parametric amplifiers and traveling wave parametric amplifiers approaching the quantum noise limit
Counter-based microwave single-photon detection architectures for ultra-high sensitivity
- Atomic RF Sensing & Metrology
Rydberg atom-based receivers and sensors for self-calibrated, wideband, and electrically small antenna systems
Development of primary power and phase standards utilizing quantum invariants
- Quantum Radar, Imaging & Signal Processing
Generation and utilization of squeezed microwave states to enhance signal-to-noise ratio in radar and communication links
System-level implementations exploiting quantum correlations for stealth target detection and noise resilience
- Hybrid Quantum Systems & Interfaces
Integration of solid-state quantum sensors (e.g., NV centers, spin qubits) with classical microwave circuitry
Microwave-optical quantum interfaces for high-efficiency transduction and low-loss quantum signal transport
Guest Editors:
Prof. Wei E. I. Sha | IEEE Fellow | Associate Professor | Zhejiang University – China weisha@zju.edu.cn
Prof. Joseph C. Bardin | IEEE Fellow | Professor | University of Massachusetts Amherst – USA jbardin@umass.edu
Prof. Zhen Peng | IEEE Senior Member | Professor | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign – USA zvpeng@illinois.edu
Prof. Dong-Yeop Na | IEEE Member | Assistant Professor | Pohang University of Science and Technology – South Korea dyna22@postech.ac.kr