Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 8, 2025
06:16
Monitoring the Effects of Illumination on the Structure of Conjugated Polymer Gels Using Neutron Scattering
Published on: December 21, 2017
5.8K
Solid-State Quantum Coherence From a High-Spin Donor-Acceptor Conjugated Polymer
Alexander J Bushnell1, Tanya A Balandin1, Paramasivam Mahalingam1
1School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA.
Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|September 6, 2025
Summary
Researchers developed a stable organic high-spin qubit from a conjugated polymer semiconductor. This breakthrough enables high-fidelity quantum control at room temperature, paving the way for new quantum technologies.
Area of Science:
- Quantum Information Science
- Organic Electronics
- Materials Chemistry
Background:
- Molecular spin systems are crucial for quantum technologies but often lack stability.
- Organic high-spin materials offer potential but face design challenges due to instability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate the first stable organic high-spin qubit.
- To showcase coherent control and competitive performance for quantum applications.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of a conjugated polymer semiconductor with alternating dithienosilole and thiadiazoloquinoxaline units.
- Characterization of electron spin properties, including coherent control and relaxation times.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated high-fidelity coherent control of electron spins in a superposition state.
- Achieved room-temperature coherence and solid-state relaxation times competitive with existing molecular qubits.
- Confirmed robust stability and chemical tunability of the organic qubit.
Conclusions:
- The developed organic high-spin qubit offers a stable, tunable platform for quantum information processing.
- This material integrates quantum phenomena into functional devices via solution processing.
- Represents a significant advancement for molecular qubits and future quantum technologies.
Related Concept Videos
01:17Spin–Spin Coupling: One-Bond Coupling
1.1K
Coupling interactions are strongest between NMR-active nuclei bonded to each other, where spin information can be transmitted directly through the pair of bonding electrons. While nuclei polarize their electrons to the opposite spins, the bonding electron pair has opposite spins. Configurations with antiparallel nuclear spins are expected to be lower in energy. When coupling makes antiparallel states more favorable, J is considered to have a positive value. The one-bond coupling constant, 1J,...
1.1K
03:02Colors and Magnetism
12.3K
Color in Coordination Complexes
When atoms or molecules absorb light at the proper frequency, their electrons are excited to higher-energy orbitals. For many main group atoms and molecules, the absorbed photons are in the ultraviolet range of the electromagnetic spectrum, which cannot be detected by the human eye. For coordination compounds, the energy difference between the d orbitals often allows photons in the visible range to be absorbed and emitted, which is seen as colors by the human...
When atoms or molecules absorb light at the proper frequency, their electrons are excited to higher-energy orbitals. For many main group atoms and molecules, the absorbed photons are in the ultraviolet range of the electromagnetic spectrum, which cannot be detected by the human eye. For coordination compounds, the energy difference between the d orbitals often allows photons in the visible range to be absorbed and emitted, which is seen as colors by the human...
12.3K
01:20Spin–Spin Coupling: Two-Bond Coupling (Geminal Coupling)
1.1K
Two NMR-active nuclei bonded to a central atom can be involved in geminal or two-bond coupling. Geminal coupling is commonly seen between diastereotopic protons in chiral molecules and unsymmetrical alkenes, among others.
The central atom need not be NMR-active because its electrons are affected by the electron polarization of the spin-active atoms. However, spin information is transmitted less effectively than in one-bond coupling, and 2J values are usually weaker than 1J values. The energy of...
The central atom need not be NMR-active because its electrons are affected by the electron polarization of the spin-active atoms. However, spin information is transmitted less effectively than in one-bond coupling, and 2J values are usually weaker than 1J values. The energy of...
1.1K
02:42Valence Bond Theory
9.2K
Coordination compounds and complexes exhibit different colors, geometries, and magnetic behavior, depending on the metal atom/ion and ligands from which they are composed. In an attempt to explain the bonding and structure of coordination complexes, Linus Pauling proposed the valence bond theory, or VBT, using the concepts of hybridization and the overlapping of the atomic orbitals. According to VBT, the central metal atom or ion (Lewis acid) hybridizes to provide empty orbitals of suitable...
9.2K
00:57Cationic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism
2.4K
The cationic polymerization mechanism consists of three steps: initiation, propagation, and termination. In the initiation step of the polymerization process, the π bond of a monomer gets protonated by the Lewis acid catalyst, which is formed from boron trifluoride and water. The protonation of the π bond generates a carbocation stabilized by the electron‐donating group. In the propagation step, the π bond of the second monomer acts as a nucleophile and attacks the...
2.4K
01:08NMR Spectroscopy: Spin–Spin Coupling
1.6K
The spin state of an NMR-active nucleus can have a slight effect on its immediate electronic environment. This effect propagates through the intervening bonds and affects the electronic environments of NMR-active nuclei up to three bonds away; occasionally, even farther. This phenomenon is called spin–spin coupling or J-coupling. Coupling interactions are mutual and result in small changes in the absorption frequencies of both nuclei involved. While nuclei of the same element are involved...
1.6K