NER: Electron Spin Resonance on a Single Carbon Nanotube

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PROPOSAL NO: 0403582INSTITUTION: U of Cal IrvinePRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Burke , PeterTITLE: NER: Electron spin resonance on a single carbon nanotubeAbstract:This research project integrates and develops technology in three related areas: spin, nano, and quantum. The research project will attempt to measure the quantum properties of the spin of an electron inside of a carbon nanotube. In particular, the project will measure how long the spin maintains its coherence, i.e. how long the spin maintains its quantum properties. If the spin-coherence time of electrons in a nanotube is long enough, then the system could function as an elementary quantum bit (qubit), the building block of quantum computers. Furthermore, by measuring the quantum properties of electron spin in one-dimensional systems, new concepts and technologies useful for spin based classical data storage devices (such as magnetic hard drives) will be developed and realized, especially important as the technology moves into the nanometer domain. Thus, the research will both develop an important experimental technique (electron spin resonance on a single nanotube) as well as performing a specific measurement of a property directly related to the physical implementation of quantum computing: the spin coherence time of electrons in a single nanotube.The intellectual merit of the proposed activity is the development of a new technique to control the spin degree of freedom in nano-electronic systems. This will be a crucial advance that leads to enormously powerful information processing systems. The broader impact of the proposed activity will be to involve educationally disadvantaged students from neighborhoods with predominately ethnic-minority student populations in combo hands-on and distance learning exercises in micro and nanofabrication, to provide minority undergraduate role models for these students, to train these undergraduates for careers in science, engineering, and teaching through direct participation in both research and educational outreach, and to promote partnerships between University of California researchers and local K-12 teachers.