Graphene based quantum information technologies
Lead Research Organisation:
UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
Department Name: Physics
Abstract
Moore's law states that the computer processing power roughly doubles every 18 months, however this will not hold any longer when transistors reach the size of individual atoms. At this microscopic scale, quantum-mechanical phenomena play a central role and are no longer a simple support in improving the building blocks as is the case in most current information technologies (IT). Rather than viewing the quantum-mechanical behaviour as a problem, modern quantum information technology (QIT) uses quantum mechanics for novel schemes of storing, processing and exchanging information according to the fundamental laws of quantum physics. This additional freedom will enable future QIT to perform tasks which are not possible in standard IT. Clearly, this makes a strong case for future economic development as demonstrated for example by the Microsoft investment in creating Station-Q, which is a dedicated research centre in QIT.
One of the major challenges in QIT is the "loss of information" in a relatively short time, a problem known as short quantum coherence time in semiconductor and superconducting quantum bits. Here we propose to overcome these limitations by exploiting the potential of graphene in QIT-devices. This is a deceptively simple material -one carbon atom thick- with high electrical conductivity. The relativistic charge carriers in graphene are expected to have an extraordinarily long coherence time which will allow the manipulation and transfer of information over macroscopic distances in a circuit even at room temperature. This is a property which is not found in any other known material. A prominent feature of these relativistic charge carriers is a novel charge conversion mechanism at the interface with superconductors, which spontaneously delivers spatially separated quantum-entangled pairs of electrons travelling on specularly symmetric trajectories. Pairs of entangled particles, so-called EPR pairs, play a special role and have been used as toy objects for fundamental studies. They form the core of Einstein's "spooky interaction at a distance", but also provide the basis of future applications like secure encoding, teleportation, quantum information technology and quantum computation. A solid state entangler device of electrons/holes has never been demonstrated before and its realization exploiting the unique properties of graphene is at the core of this proposal.
One of the major challenges in QIT is the "loss of information" in a relatively short time, a problem known as short quantum coherence time in semiconductor and superconducting quantum bits. Here we propose to overcome these limitations by exploiting the potential of graphene in QIT-devices. This is a deceptively simple material -one carbon atom thick- with high electrical conductivity. The relativistic charge carriers in graphene are expected to have an extraordinarily long coherence time which will allow the manipulation and transfer of information over macroscopic distances in a circuit even at room temperature. This is a property which is not found in any other known material. A prominent feature of these relativistic charge carriers is a novel charge conversion mechanism at the interface with superconductors, which spontaneously delivers spatially separated quantum-entangled pairs of electrons travelling on specularly symmetric trajectories. Pairs of entangled particles, so-called EPR pairs, play a special role and have been used as toy objects for fundamental studies. They form the core of Einstein's "spooky interaction at a distance", but also provide the basis of future applications like secure encoding, teleportation, quantum information technology and quantum computation. A solid state entangler device of electrons/holes has never been demonstrated before and its realization exploiting the unique properties of graphene is at the core of this proposal.
Planned Impact
Quantum information technology (QIT) holds the promise of a significant impact on society. However, the short quantum coherence time found in standard semiconductor or superconductor-based quantum bits constitutes a serious limitation. Graphene is an ideal candidate for such technologies, as it is a sheet of carbon just one atom thick, with an expected spectacularly long quantum coherence time. This project is directed specifically at tuning the electronic properties of graphene so as to allow the full potential of this material to be exploited in novel QIT devices. The outputs of the project, the development of graphene-based solid state entangler devices, will be fundamental to the commercial and the economic development of QITs. The ability to embed graphene-based solid state entanglers into future computers would improve national security, as the transmitted information by these novel devices would be protected by the fundamental laws of quantum mechanics. Graphene-QITs have the potential to improve social welfare by replacing the currently used encoding of information with a quantum mechanically protected system which cannot be cracked. These devices would be of great relevance for commercial and military applications, and will also facilitate faster interactions and exchanges between individuals and communities. Furthermore, graphene makes transistors more than 100 times faster than the silicon-based transistors used in today's electronics and therefore it could lead to electronic devices that are smaller, faster, and less power hungry than those made out of standard semiconductors. The use of graphene in these devices opens up an entirely new avenue towards the development of QIT-devices, thus fostering the economic competitiveness of the United Kingdom. Apart from their expense, today`s QIT-devices, based on carbon nanotubes or nanowires can create major recycling problems, and they may also be carcinogenic if they become airborne and are inhaled. The chances that graphene could be inhaled are very low since this material is a two-dimensional sheet which can be fabricated in large areas (100cmx100cm). Thus, by incorporating graphene in devices, the components of the future will not have negative effects on our health, will be much easier to recycle, and thereby will be environmentally more attractive. Even though only 5 years have passed since graphene has been experimentally accessed, the demonstration of a Josephson supercurrent in graphene/superconductor hybrid structures [H. B. Heersche et al., Nature 446, 56-59 (2007)] clearly shows that the next few years can be regarded as realistic timescale for many of the benefits of the above described devices to be realised. The interdisciplinary nature of the proposed project provides excellent educational and outreach opportunities for the staff and students working on the project. For example, the undergraduate and graduate students involved in the project will be exposed to the state-of-the-art tools of modern semiconductor and superconductor research. The skills learned by the students in this project are highly marketable and will serve as a valuable asset for employment in industrial, governmental or academic institutions. Our dissemination plan: hosting workshops, conferences, general public demonstrations and presentations, attending conferences and publication in peer-reviewed high-impact journals, will ensure that our work will enhance the knowledge of public as well as the public engagement with research.
People |
ORCID iD |
Saverio Russo (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Amit I
(2017)
Role of Charge Traps in the Performance of Atomically Thin Transistors.
in Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
Aziz M
(2014)
Molybdenum-rhenium superconducting suspended nanostructures
in Applied Physics Letters
Bezares FJ
(2017)
Intrinsic Plasmon-Phonon Interactions in Highly Doped Graphene: A Near-Field Imaging Study.
in Nano letters
Bointon T
(2015)
Is graphene a good transparent electrode for photovoltaics and display applications?
in IET Circuits, Devices & Systems
Bointon T
(2015)
High Quality Monolayer Graphene Synthesized by Resistive Heating Cold Wall Chemical Vapor Deposition
in Advanced Materials
Bointon TH
(2014)
Approaching magnetic ordering in graphene materials by FeCl3 intercalation.
in Nano letters
Bointon TH
(2015)
Large-area functionalized CVD graphene for work function matched transparent electrodes.
in Scientific reports
Borzenets I
(2015)
High Efficiency CVD Graphene-lead (Pb) Cooper Pair Splitter
Borzenets IV
(2016)
High Efficiency CVD Graphene-lead (Pb) Cooper Pair Splitter.
in Scientific reports
Craciun MF
(2013)
Properties and applications of chemically functionalized graphene.
in Journal of physics. Condensed matter : an Institute of Physics journal
De Sanctis A
(2018)
Strain-engineered inverse charge-funnelling in layered semiconductors.
in Nature communications
De Sanctis A
(2017)
An integrated and multi-purpose microscope for the characterization of atomically thin optoelectronic devices.
in The Review of scientific instruments
De Sanctis A
(2017)
Functionalised hexagonal-domain graphene for position-sensitive photodetectors.
in Nanotechnology
De Sanctis A
(2018)
Novel circuit design for high-impedance and non-local electrical measurements of two-dimensional materials.
in The Review of scientific instruments
De Sanctis A
(2017)
Extraordinary linear dynamic range in laser-defined functionalized graphene photodetectors.
in Science advances
De Sanctis A
(2018)
New routes to the functionalization patterning and manufacture of graphene-based materials for biomedical applications.
in Interface focus
Dimov D
(2018)
Ultrahigh Performance Nanoengineered Graphene-Concrete Composites for Multifunctional Applications
in Advanced Functional Materials
El-Bana M
(2013)
Superconductivity in two-dimensional NbSe 2 field effect transistors
in Superconductor Science and Technology
Hartley AM
(2015)
Functional modulation and directed assembly of an enzyme through designed non-natural post-translation modification.
in Chemical science
Jones GF
(2017)
Highly Efficient Rubrene-Graphene Charge-Transfer Interfaces as Phototransistors in the Visible Regime.
in Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
Ke CT
(2016)
Critical Current Scaling in Long Diffusive Graphene-Based Josephson Junctions.
in Nano letters
Khodkov T
(2015)
Direct Observation of a Gate Tunable Band Gap in Electrical Transport in ABC-Trilayer Graphene.
in Nano letters
Laitinen A
(2016)
Contact doping, Klein tunneling, and asymmetry of shot noise in suspended graphene
in Physical Review B
Marsico M
(2020)
Graphene-Rubber Layered Functional Composites for Seismic Isolation of Structures
in Advanced Engineering Materials
Mehew JD
(2017)
Fast and Highly Sensitive Ionic-Polymer-Gated WS2 -Graphene Photodetectors.
in Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
Neves AI
(2015)
Transparent conductive graphene textile fibers.
in Scientific reports
Oksanen M
(2014)
Single-mode and multimode Fabry-Pérot interference in suspended graphene
in Physical Review B
Peimyoo N
(2021)
Electrical tuning of optically active interlayer excitons in bilayer MoS2.
in Nature nanotechnology
Peimyoo N
(2020)
Engineering Dielectric Screening for Potential-well Arrays of Excitons in 2D Materials.
in ACS applied materials & interfaces
Peimyoo N
(2019)
Laser-writable high-k dielectric for van der Waals nanoelectronics.
in Science advances
Polyushkin D
(2013)
Graphene as a substrate for plasmonic nanoparticles
in Journal of Optics
Riis-Jensen A
(2020)
Anomalous exciton Rydberg series in two-dimensional semiconductors on high- ? dielectric substrates
in Physical Review B
Riisnaes KJ
(2024)
2D Hybrid Perovskite Sensors for Environmental and Healthcare Monitoring.
in ACS applied materials & interfaces
Shin DW
(2018)
A New Facile Route to Flexible and Semi-Transparent Electrodes Based on Water Exfoliated Graphene and their Single-Electrode Triboelectric Nanogenerator.
in Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
Shioya H
(2014)
Straining graphene using thin film shrinkage methods.
in Nano letters
Shioya H
(2015)
Electron States of Uniaxially Strained Graphene.
in Nano letters
Torres Alonso E
(2016)
Homogeneously Bright, Flexible, and Foldable Lighting Devices with Functionalized Graphene Electrodes.
in ACS applied materials & interfaces
Torres Alonso E
(2019)
Water-Based Solution Processing and Wafer-Scale Integration of All-Graphene Humidity Sensors.
in Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)
Townsend N
(2018)
Sub 20 meV Schottky barriers in metal/MoTe 2 junctions
in 2D Materials
Townsend N
(2019)
Energy dispersive spectroscopic measurement of charge traps in MoTe 2
in Physical Review B
Wehenkel DJ
(2015)
Unforeseen high temperature and humidity stability of FeCl3 intercalated few layer graphene.
in Scientific reports
Description | In this project I developed a device able to outsource pairs of electrons exhibiting the so-called spooky action at a distance of quantum mechanics. This is one of the most bizarre elements of quantum theory-the way that measuring one member of an entangled pair of particles seems to instantaneously change the state of its counterpart, even if that counterpart particle is on the other side of the galaxy. The device developed in this project is enabling the developement of integrated quantum information technologies. |
Exploitation Route | Quantum technology is one of the largest growing research activities at the moment. The outcomes of this funding are underpinning the world wide development of integrated quantum secure communication technologies. |
Sectors | Aerospace Defence and Marine Electronics |
Description | Contract research AWE |
Amount | £9,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Atomic Weapons Establishment |
Sector | Private |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 05/2014 |
End | 08/2014 |
Description | Contract research Qioptic |
Amount | £30,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Qioptic |
Sector | Private |
Country | Germany |
Start | 12/2015 |
End | 05/2016 |
Description | Contract research with Qinetiq |
Amount | £12,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Qinetiq |
Sector | Private |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 01/2015 |
End | 02/2015 |
Description | DSTL Quantum 2.0 |
Amount | £140,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Defence Science & Technology Laboratory (DSTL) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 08/2014 |
End | 09/2018 |
Description | DSTL Uk-France |
Amount | £140,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Defence Science & Technology Laboratory (DSTL) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 08/2016 |
End | 09/2020 |
Description | GW4 |
Amount | £25,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | GW4 |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 05/2014 |
End | 01/2015 |
Description | Knowledge Transfer Partnership |
Amount | £200,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | TSB Bank plc |
Sector | Private |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 08/2013 |
End | 09/2017 |
Description | Marie Curie Individual Fellowship |
Amount | € 200,000 (EUR) |
Organisation | Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | Global |
Start | 03/2016 |
End | 03/2018 |
Description | Marie Curie Individual Fellowship |
Amount | € 200,000 (EUR) |
Organisation | Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | Global |
Start | 06/2016 |
End | 07/2018 |
Description | Research Grant |
Amount | £250,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | The Leverhulme Trust |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 08/2015 |
End | 09/2018 |
Description | Royal Society travel exchange |
Amount | £12,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | The Royal Society |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 05/2013 |
End | 06/2015 |
Description | Royal Society International Exchanges Scheme 2013/R2 (inc CNRS) - Make application with ICFO Barcelona |
Organisation | ICFO - The Institute of Photonic Sciences |
Country | Spain |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | The UK partner is providing materials, and Raman characterization |
Collaborator Contribution | ICFO is characterizing the plasmonic response of the materials provided by the UK partner |
Impact | We have a number of joint publications currently under review. |
Start Year | 2013 |