FMSG BIO: Next-generation Sub-10 nm Manufacturing Framework for Photonic Quantum Technologies using DNA

For decades, scientists have been trying to harness the unique properties of quantum physics—the science of extremely small particles—to develop revolutionary technologies. This research merges biology with quantum physics to build devices that can manipulate individual particles of light with unprecedented precision, potentially transforming fields from fundamental physics to medical diagnostics to supercomputing.

Because conventional semiconductor manufacturing of wafer-scale transistors for silicon-based computing is limited in its ability to pattern quantum materials, radically new manufacturing approaches are needed. While DNA, the genetic molecule of life, is classically known for its role in storing and propagating genetic information, an alternative use involves its structural, self-assembling properties that enable scalable, low-cost and environmentally friendly manufacturing at the nanometer-scale.

This project establishes a sustainable, energy-efficient manufacturing framework that uses DNA to position quantum materials on silicon chips with extraordinary accuracy and versatility. This innovative approach bridges molecular biology and semiconductor fabrication, creating pathways to quantum technologies that may enable computers capable of solving problems in minutes that would require conventional computers thousands of years to complete.

Beyond these scientific and technical advances, this work provides rich educational opportunities for students across multiple disciplines. The project actively engages students through partnerships with community colleges and workshops, while developing hands-on curricula to prepare students for careers in the emerging bioeconomy, an area identified as a national priority.

This project develops a groundbreaking manufacturing approach to overcome fundamental limitations in quantum device fabrication. Currently, the semiconductor industry uses lithography—a technology for etching patterns onto silicon substrates to manufacture computer chips—but these methods fail to position quantum materials with the nanometer-scale precision needed.

The project seeks to develop a sub-10 nanometer manufacturing framework for photonic quantum technologies through two complementary research thrusts. The first thrust focuses on spatially organizing individual quantum dots and quantum rods with sub-10 nm precision using DNA templates patterned on wafer-scale surfaces. A novel Cavity-Shape Modulated Origami Placement (CSMOP) technique is developed to position DNA templates with high fidelity and minimal background binding.

Computer-aided design tools guide the patterning process, enabling predictive placement of quantum materials. The second thrust applies this approach to fabricate functional single-photon sources by integrating colloidal quantum emitters into photonic cavities coupled to waveguide circuitry. This research incorporates scalable biomanufacturing of DNA templates through bacterial fermentation and silicification of the resulting structures to ensure their long-term stability and performance.

The integrated approach that spans the self-assembling biological molecule DNA with top-down lithography overcomes fundamental limitations of each technique on its own, establishing a general framework for quantum device fabrication that can be extended to other quantum materials including molecular qubits for transformative sensing and computing applications.

This project is jointly funded by the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences in the Directorate for Biological Sciences, and the Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems and Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems in the Directorate for Engineering.

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.