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Research

person working in labThe Center for Molecular Quantum Transduction (CMQT) exploits recent breakthroughs from its team including landmark coherence times and stabilities of molecular qubits and quantum materials, the ability to create hybrid qubits, and resonant photonic architectures. As the CMQT research team moves forward, its approach includes both ensemble-level studies to rapidly understand interactions, and development of single-molecule methods to interface molecular Quantum Information Science (QIS) with other QIS platforms. CMQT is also leveraging cutting-edge physical measurement techniques with high spatial, temporal, and spectral resolution to understand how to transition quantum-to-quantum transduction from the ensemble to the single molecule level.

CMQT's goals are embodied by three cross-cutting Research Thrusts with closely integrated approaches and team synergies that progressively exploit the flexibility and tunability of molecular architectures to address quantum-to-quantum transduction at increasing length scales. Individually, the Thrusts each pose and answer fundamental questions relevant to quantum transduction in different regimes, ranging from local to long-distance. Taken together, the Thrusts develop a transformative integrated framework for how molecules can facilitate quantum transduction at all the scales relevant for quantum information science.

Research Thrust 1: Localized Molecular Quantum-to-Quantum Transduction

The goal of this thrust is to develop new mechanisms and strategies to coherently couple localized molecular degrees of freedom (DOFs) and thus lay the foundation for molecular quantum-to-quantum transduction. Designer molecular qubits with long coherence times and tunable interactions will enable quantum state transduction between molecular quantum states demonstrated at the ensemble level to be transitioned rapidly to quantum measurement at the single molecule level. CMQT will explore synthesis and measurements that leverage atomic precision to enable quantum transduction through local interactions.

Research Thrust 2: Distributed Molecular Quantum-to-Quantum Transduction

The goal of this thrust is to demonstrate quantum transduction within distributed molecular quantum systems. Thrust 2 will explore quantum transduction in ensembles of tailored molecular qubits including those developed in Thrust 1 that interact via spin-magnon coupling to delocalized, highly coherent, magnon modes in molecule-based magnetic thin films. This approach bridges the length scales of single molecules with those of state-of-the-art solid-state quantum systems.

Research Thrust 3: Multiscale Molecular Quantum-to-Quantum Transduction

The goal of this thrust is to use the combination of flying qubits and molecular degrees of freedom (DOFs) to achieve quantum transduction over multiple length scales within hierarchical quantum systems. Thrust 3 incorporates the molecular systems established in Thrusts 1 and 2 into photonic structures to demonstrate coherence transfer between multiple molecular DOFs and between these DOFs and photons, including producing heralded photons necessary to probe quantum aspects of energy-important light-harvesting processes, such as natural and artificial photosynthesis.