CAREER: Fully Quantum Power Grid Analysis: Fundamental Theory and Novel Algorithms

This NSF CAREER project aims to establish a new paradigm of “fully quantum” computing for power grid analytics. The project will bring transformative changes by redefining how linear quantum operators can be harnessed to address nonlinear power grid analysis, thereby opening a new pathway for end-to-end quantum computing technologies capable of tackling critical power system computational tasks. This will be achieved by fusing quantum computing with analytic continuation to reformulate nonlinear power grid equations into an equivalent linear structure that can be solved directly and entirely in the quantum space, thus eliminating reliance on classical iterative processes. The intellectual merit of the project includes the development of fundamental theory and novel algorithms for fully quantum grid analytics for AC power flow and dynamic simulation, along with their associated contingency screening. The broader impacts of the project include promoting preparation of quantum-ready power engineers who will accelerate the adoption of quantum information science and technology (QIST) in power systems. This will be achieved through 1) developing a fully quantum analytics toolbox to address industry needs and broaden community engagement; 2) delivering impactful quantum-grid-focused educational resources spanning undergraduate, graduate, and K–12 programs; and 3) collaborating with industry partners to transition research outcomes into practical workforce training materials. As modern power grids have become more complex due to rising demand, expanding infrastructure, and dynamic operating conditions, existing computational tools face increasing challenges in analyzing large-scale nonlinear power grid behavior. Breakthroughs in quantum computing promise exceptional scalability, parallelism, and computational efficiency. However, the fundamental mismatch between the linear nature of quantum operators and the nonlinear characteristics of power grids has restricted existing quantum-enabled grid analytics to hybrid quantum–classical frameworks, hindering the realization of true quantum advantage. This project addresses this barrier by introducing a fully quantum framework that transforms nonlinear power grid equations into higher-dimensional analytic continuation structures compatible with linear quantum computation. Quantum tensors will be employed to process massive scenarios and simulation steps in a single quantum execution. Quantum Krylov subspace methods will further ensure practical scalability to large grid dimensions and across numerous operating scenarios. The proposed methods will be validated on real-world power system use cases provided by industry partners using today’s real quantum hardware. 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. NSF Award ID: 2542805 | Program: 01002627DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT | Principal Investigator: Yifan Zhou | Institution: SUNY at Stony Brook, STONY BROOK, NY | Award Amount: $565,470 View on NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/show-award/?AWD_ID=2542805 View on Research.gov: https://www.research.gov/awardapi-service/v1/awards/2542805.html