Eddleman Innovation Seed Funding Projects
The Eddleman Quantum Innovation Fund has supported quantum research working to stimulate novel approaches to basic science. Work is ongoing on two current projects:
Outsmarting kinetics: achieving metastable topological phases through intense illumination
Joseph Falson, Assistant Professor of Materials Science and David Hsieh, Professor of Physics
Strong interactions between the electrons in solids underlie some of nature's most fascinating phenomena, such as high-temperature superconductivity. Recently, theorists have predicted that by also introducing strong spin-orbit coupling, exotic new topological phases may be uncovered. A promising platform for studying these phenomena are pyrochlore rare-earth iridate based magnetic insulators such as Eu2Ir2O7. However, the novel physics remains elusive because it is experimentally challenging to synthesize high-quality crystals and to tune their properties. We proposed an unconventional non-equilibrium route to control the crystal synthesis and the magnetic/electronic properties through long-wavelength laser driving.
Novel epitaxial platforms for quantum defects in magnetically quiet solids
Andrei Faraon, Professor of Applied Physics and Electrical Engineering and Joseph Falson, Assistant Professor of Materials Science
Atomic defects embedded in crystalline materials are widely studied in the quantum physics community both because of their rich quantum physics and their promise for integrated quantum devices. While superconducting and trapped atom/ion qubits currently provide the most advanced quantum computing platforms, the path towards scaling these systems to very large numbers of qubits looks challenging. On the other hand, solid state systems based on defects are more suited for large-scale on-chip integration of qubits, although they pose very difficult engineering challenges. This project intended to seed investigations into alternative high quality material systems as hosts of single defects, namely pure Zinc Oxide. This involves the synthesis of crystals, device fabrication and evaluation of defects, while developing momentum for future optical control of individual defects.