Quantum Materials

Our researchers are working to predict, design, and synthesize quantum materials and tailor their properties to address pressing technological needs.

Projects

Center for Novel Pathways to Quantum Coherence in Materials (NPQC)

To fully exploit the potential of quantum-based sensing, communication, and computation, we must find new ways to protect and use quantum coherence in solid-state environments that are closer to ambient temperatures. NPQC, led by Berkeley Lab, is working to dramatically expand our control and understanding of coherence in solids by building on fundamental materials discoveries in recent years. Contact: Joel E. Moore (Moore on the Web)

Quantum Systems Accelerator (QSA)

Many of the current roadblocks in quantum information science and technology stem from disturbances and defects in the materials used to fabricate qubits across the leading platforms: neutral atoms, trapped ions, and superconducting circuits. An active area of multidisciplinary exploration at the QSA is finding suitable materials to build increasingly complex quantum processors. QSA scientists study sophisticated two-dimensional materials that could potentially increase the coherence time of qubits in superconducting circuits. This work leverages broad expertise at different QSA partner institutions and U.S. Department of Energy research facilities, including the Advanced Light Source, Molecular Foundry, and National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC) at Berkeley Lab.

Quantum Materials Program

This program seeks to investigate the properties of strongly correlated materials by shining light onto them. Contact Joseph Orenstein (Orenstein on the Web)

ALS: Quantum Materials Research & Discovery Thrust Area

The Quantum Materials Research and Discovery Thrust Area aims to advance the development and understanding of new synthetic materials and their electronic, spin, chemical, and physical properties. This work addresses problems of condensed matter physics related to spin and quantum properties of materials, including atomically engineered multilayers, 2D materials, and materials that exhibit unusual topological electronic structures. Contacts: Stephanie Gilbert Corder, Hendrik Ohldag

Quantum Information Science at the Molecular Foundry

Scientists are creating a “nanofabrication cluster toolset” that allows users to investigate the fundamental limits of state-of-the-art quantum systems. Another effort is developing a unique suite of electron beam-based metrology techniques.

Highly Coherent Structures for Next-Generation Quantum Systems

This effort funded by DOE’s Office of Basic Energy Sciences tackles unanswered questions associated with quantum coherence in thin-film materials. Increasing coherence lifetimes by up to 10 times in superconducting structures is critical to developing next-generation quantum systems, such as more advanced qubits, and would enable tests of quantum applications in computation and communication.

As part of the project, scientists in Berkeley Lab’s Materials Sciences Division produce and validate the performance of functionalized quantum materials capable of supporting coherent phenomena approaching the millisecond timescale. They will explore new ways to control decoherence in 3D structures for high-density information processing. The studies will be combined with new theoretical and computational tools to probe large-scale entanglement in quantum systems. Contact: Irfan Siddiqi (Siddiqi on the Web.)

Quantum Information Science (QIS) at NERSC

QIS@Perlmutter program awarded more than 250,000 Perlmutter GPU node hours to pioneering research efforts, including simulating defects in materials for QIS, applying quantum deep learning algorithms to high energy physics data analysis, and developing surrogate models for variational quantum algorithms, to name just a few. Contacts: Katie Klymko, Nick Wright