Inès Montaño

Inès Montaño serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Applied Physics and Materials Science at Northern Arizona University, where she has led cutting-edge quantum research since joining in 2017 after a 13-year career at Sandia National Laboratories. Her work bridges theoretical condensed matter physics with experimental validation through strong interdisciplinary collaborations.

Her academic foundation includes a PhD and Diploma in Physics from the Technical University of Berlin, followed by postdoctoral research at Sandia National Laboratories. These experiences established her expertise in quantum phenomena and nanoscale device modeling.

Dr. Montaño's research spans transformative quantum domains with particular emphasis on:

• Quantum network tomography and secure communication protocols
• Light-matter interactions in hyperbolic metamaterials
• Quantum information processing with silicon-based qubits
• Energy transfer dynamics in bio-inspired nanomaterials
• Many-body quantum systems and quantum simulation

Her publication trajectory reveals accelerating contributions to quantum networking (60% of recent work), with significant expansion into quantum education initiatives and bio-quantum interfaces. The 2022-2025 output demonstrates strategic alignment with national quantum infrastructure priorities.

Notable recognitions include:

• Co-PI for NSF's $25M Engineering Research Center for Quantum Networks
• Leadership in Nanotechnology Collaborative Infrastructure Southwest
• Back-to-back faculty impact awards for undergraduate mentees (2018-2019)
• Prestigious Berliner Fellowship for women in research (2002-2004)

As director of the Quantum Photonics and Emerging Phenomena (Q-PEP) group, she secures major grants including NSF quantum initiatives while mentoring next-generation scientists. Her SparCQS program actively develops quantum workforce pipelines through K-12 outreach and undergraduate research experiences, positioning NAU at the forefront of quantum education infrastructure.