Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Relaxation Processes01:23

Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Relaxation Processes

1.2K
In the absence of an external magnetic field, nuclear spin states are degenerate and randomly oriented. When a magnetic field is applied, the spins begin to precess and orient themselves along (lower energy) or against (higher energy) the direction of the field. At equilibrium, a slight excess population of spins exists in the lower energy state. Because the direction of the magnetic field is fixed as the z-axis,  the precessing magnetic moments are randomly oriented around the z-axis.
1.2K
Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Spin State Overview01:03

Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Spin State Overview

1.9K
NMR-active nuclei have energy levels called 'spin states' that are associated with the orientations of their nuclear magnetic moments. In the absence of a magnetic field, the nuclear magnetic moments are randomly oriented, and the spin states are degenerate. When an external magnetic field is applied, the spin states have only 2 + 1 orientations available to them. A proton with = ½ has two available orientations. Similarly, for a quadrupolar nucleus with a nuclear spin value of one, the...
1.9K
Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Spin State Population Distribution01:14

Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Spin State Population Distribution

2.3K
Near absolute zero temperatures, in the presence of a magnetic field, the majority of nuclei prefer the lower energy spin-up state to the higher energy spin-down state. As temperatures increase, the energy from thermal collisions distributes the spins more equally between the two states. The Boltzmann distribution equation gives the ratio of the number of spins predicted in the spin −½ (N−) and spin +½ (N+) states.
2.3K
Atomic Nuclei: Types of Nuclear Relaxation01:28

Atomic Nuclei: Types of Nuclear Relaxation

921
Nuclear relaxation restores the equilibrium population imbalance and can occur via spin–lattice or spin–spin mechanisms, which are first-order exponential decay processes.
In spin–lattice or longitudinal relaxation, the excited spins exchange energy with the surrounding lattice as they return to the lower energy level. Among several mechanisms that contribute to spin–lattice relaxation, magnetic dipolar interactions are significant. Here, the excited nucleus transfers...
921
Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Spin01:08

Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Spin

4.9K
All atomic particles possess an intrinsic angular momentum, or 'spin'. Electrons, protons, and neutrons each have a spin value of ½, although protons and neutrons in nuclei may have higher half-integer spins owing to energetic factors.
Atomic nuclei have a net nuclear spin, , which can have an integer or half-integer value. In atomic nuclei, the spins of protons are paired against each other but not with neutrons, and vice versa. Consequently, an even number of protons does not contribute to...
4.9K
NMR Spectroscopy: Spin–Spin Coupling01:08

NMR Spectroscopy: Spin–Spin Coupling

3.0K
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...
3.0K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Supramolecular Interactions Modulate Raman Relaxation in <i>D</i><sub>5<i>h</i></sub> Symmetric Dy(III) Single-Molecule Magnets Opening the Magnetic Hysteresis up to 50 K.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same author

A unified ab initio theory of spin-phonon relaxation and decoherence uncovers fast dephasing in magnetic molecules.

Science advances·2026
Same author

Chiral Dysprosium-[7]Helicene Macrocycles Showing Record Single-Molecule Magnet Properties in the Lanthanide-Helicene Family.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2025
Same author

Generating New Coordination Compounds via Multireference Simulations, Genetic Algorithms, and Machine Learning: The Case of Co(II) and Dy(III) Molecular Magnets.

JACS Au·2025
Same author

A Multireference Picture of Electronic Excited States in Vanadyl and Copper Tetraphenyl Porphyrin Molecular Qubits.

The journal of physical chemistry. A·2025
Same author

The mechanism of spin-phonon relaxation in endohedral metallofullerene single molecule magnets.

Chemical science·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 16, 2026

High-Temperature and High-Pressure In situ Magic Angle Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
08:55

High-Temperature and High-Pressure In situ Magic Angle Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Published on: October 9, 2020

6.0K

Spin decoherence in molecular crystals: Nuclear vs electronic spin baths.

Conor Ryan1, Valerio Briganti1, Cathal Hogan1

  • 1School of Physics, AMBER and CRANN Institute, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland.

The Journal of Chemical Physics
|October 1, 2025
PubMed
Summary

Nuclear spins limit molecular qubit coherence below 1 mM electron spin concentration. Deuterated samples and dynamical decoupling offer pathways to significantly extend coherence times for quantum technologies.

More Related Videos

Methods of Ex Situ and In Situ Investigations of Structural Transformations: The Case of Crystallization of Metallic Glasses
08:55

Methods of Ex Situ and In Situ Investigations of Structural Transformations: The Case of Crystallization of Metallic Glasses

Published on: June 7, 2018

8.9K
Study of Protein Dynamics via Neutron Spin Echo Spectroscopy
08:03

Study of Protein Dynamics via Neutron Spin Echo Spectroscopy

Published on: April 13, 2022

2.5K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 16, 2026

High-Temperature and High-Pressure In situ Magic Angle Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
08:55

High-Temperature and High-Pressure In situ Magic Angle Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Published on: October 9, 2020

6.0K
Methods of Ex Situ and In Situ Investigations of Structural Transformations: The Case of Crystallization of Metallic Glasses
08:55

Methods of Ex Situ and In Situ Investigations of Structural Transformations: The Case of Crystallization of Metallic Glasses

Published on: June 7, 2018

8.9K
Study of Protein Dynamics via Neutron Spin Echo Spectroscopy
08:03

Study of Protein Dynamics via Neutron Spin Echo Spectroscopy

Published on: April 13, 2022

2.5K

Area of Science:

  • Quantum Information Science
  • Molecular Spin Dynamics
  • Spectroscopy

Background:

  • Decoherence, the loss of quantum phase information, limits molecular qubit performance.
  • Both electron-spin and nuclear-spin interactions contribute to decoherence at low temperatures.
  • Uncertainty persists regarding the dominant decoherence mechanism across various experimental conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantitatively identify the primary decoherence mechanism in molecular qubits.
  • To explore strategies for prolonging coherence times in molecular spin systems.
  • To assess the potential of molecular qubits for quantum information processing.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized the cluster-correlation expansion (CCE) method for theoretical simulations.
  • Modeled decoherence in two prototypical molecular qubits.
  • Investigated the impact of electron and nuclear spin concentrations on coherence.

Main Results:

  • Nuclear spins emerge as the dominant decoherence source below approximately 1 mM electron spin concentration.
  • Deuterated samples show potential for achieving ~0.1 ms coherence times at ~0.1 mM electron spin concentration.
  • Dynamical decoupling in hydrogen-rich molecular crystals can yield 10 ms coherence times for electron spin concentrations below 1 mM.

Conclusions:

  • Nuclear spin interactions are critical for understanding and mitigating decoherence in molecular qubits.
  • Deuteration and dynamical decoupling are promising techniques for enhancing molecular qubit coherence.
  • Molecular spins hold significant untapped potential for advancing quantum technologies.