Quantum control of magnetic processes (CDT-QTE)

On the theory side, there are unsolved fundamental questions about how quickly a magnetic process can run - quantum mechanical uncertainty relations create a delicate balance between speed and accuracy of spin dynamics. We will explore the deep quantum mechanics of magnetisation transport and find ways to improve the speed and sensitivity of scientific, industrial, and medical devices (NMR spectrometers, MRI machines, etc.) that use spin.

On the applications side, a common problem is that chemists do not know how some empirically discovered catalysts work. One of the ways of finding out is nuclear magnetic resonance that uses magnetic moments associated with nuclear spin. The complication is that some nuclei (such as 27Al and 14N) are not spherical. They are informative, but hard to use because they also have an electric quadrupole moment, and electric interactions are much stronger than magnetic ones.

The applications side of this project is about quantum control methods that facilitate magnetic resonance with quadrupolar nuclei, with the end goal of improving catalyst performance. We will use Southampton University NMR facility to add the optimal control aspect to our ongoing work on catalysis.