Combining low-dimensional correlated condensed matter systems with judiciously placed and optically accessible quantum impurities is a fruitful enterprise for (1) diverse sensing modalities of fundamental equilibrium and transport properties in a variety of systems, (2) designing and building up quantum-entangled dynamics of the quantum bit ensembles, and (3) using such dynamics to imprint measurable quantum correlations back onto the condensed matter systems and devices. This interplay between macroscopically controlled solid-state heterostructures and intricate highly-correlated quantum dynamics of atomistic quantum degrees of freedom opens up a rich and versatile playground for fusing ideas from quantum optics, quantum transport, and quantum material sensing and engineering. I will summarize our current ideas, focusing on the overarching symmetry and nonequilibrium thermodynamics based reasoning.