Quantum Materials: Harnessing Helicates and Radicals in Synergy

This is a multidisciplinary project that combines original organic and inorganic chemical synthesis with advanced electronic resonance spectroscopy to produce the next generation of multifunctional molecular quantum processor prototypes.

Quantum technologies will embody the second quantum revolution, bound to change dramatically the landscape of information processing, communications and nanotechnology, thereby bringing profound changes to society. This could be realized through the coherent manipulation of the electronic or nuclear spin degrees of freedom.

In this context, the growing importance of spin-bearing molecules as the potential physical platform to realize quantum technologies demands the design and precise characterization of the required molecular components with the appropriate functions. The objective of this proposal is to generate molecular qubits bearing functional components for their implementation.

These components will be, a) single ion magnets (SIMs) to engender a local magnetic field for individual qubit operation, b) spin crossover (SCO) centers to provide a mechanism for tuning the qubit quantum coherence using light, c) molecular units exhibiting magnetocaloric effect (MCE) to generate a local mechanism for qubit refrigeration, or d) ancillary qubits to realize multiqubit quantum gates within molecules.

A first period at Windsor University (Canada) will be dedicated to the synthesis of hybrid main group radical/coordination chemistry compounds.

A six-month secondment at the National High Magnetic Laboratory in Florida (USA) will allow deep characterization of the compounds prepared and quality training in pulsed EPR.

The final part at the University of Barcelona (Spain) will consist in incorporating the radical systems produced at Windsor as components of supramolecular assemblies.

The last part will allow also advanced characterization with the local pulsed EPR infrastructurQuantum Materials: Harnessing Helicates and Radicals in Synergy