INSPIRE: Excitonic Quantum Coherence - A Viable Path to Quantum Computing

非技术描述：这是一项激励拨款。能够解决目前超级计算机能力之外的问题的通用量子计算机还没有实现。这个跨学科项目的重点是利用DNA自组装将有机染料分子组装成复杂的激子网络是否为建造这样的计算机提供了一条可行的途径。激子是当有机染料分子处于激发状态时，驻留在其内部的能量包。这个能量包是一个量子力学物体，它像光一样表现出波状和粒子状的行为。激子的波状行为的一个表现是它能够在染料分子网络中扩散，从而同时驻留在多个发色团上。这个过程被称为激子量子相干能量转移。这种粒子行为的一个表现是，当两个激子在染料分子网络上传播时，它们可以相互碰撞和散射。通过利用这两种行为，原则上，染料分子可以排列成充当量子门和量子计算机的网络。为了进行量子相干能量转移，必须使染料分子彼此之间的距离在几纳米以内，为了建立量子门，必须找到可以在大型染料网络中保持量子相干的染料分子。这项研究试图解决的基本问题是，是否可以找到足够高质量的染料分子，以及这些分子是否可以以所需的紧密间距排列到复杂网络中，以便形成一个起作用的量子门，从而提供一条通向可扩展通用量子计算的途径。这项研究计划为博伊西州立大学的学生提供纳米光子学和计算材料科学方面的专门教育、培训和指导。这一经历使这些学生能够满足地方和国家高科技行业以及教育和科学机构不断发展和进步的技术需求。这项研究将教育、培训和研究与推广相结合，将促进科学和工程的发现、创新和全面的知识繁荣。技术描述：本研究的目标是开发一种用于组装量子计算机的新材料系统，其中量子计算是通过在染料分子网络上进行多激子量子行走来进行的。这项研究的两个主要任务是(1)识别合适的染料分子和(2)确定这些染料分子当共价连接到DNA上时，可以通过什么方式排列成必要的构型，以发挥量子门的作用。在第一个任务中，染料分子被鉴定，当用DNA组装配对时，通过吸收光谱和差分吸收光谱分别确定了大的Davydov分裂和强的激子-激子相互作用。在第二个任务中，如何最好地将染料分子共价连接到DNA底物上，形成量子相干相互作用的染料网络。这项研究解决的一个基本问题是如何有效地进行激子计算。这项工作通过提供新的门结构来影响现有的量子计算研究，这些结构对色散和退相干具有健壮性，并且比现有的量子门具有更快的切换时间。拨款由以下计划共同资助：OIA；EPSCoR；CEISE；ENG；和MPS。

NONTECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: This is an INSPIRE grant. Universal quantum computers with the ability to solve problems beyond the capability of present supercomputers have yet to be realized. This interdisciplinary project focuses on whether the assembly of organic dye molecules into complex excitonic networks using DNA self-assembly provides a viable path for the construction of such computers. An exciton is the packet of energy that resides in an organic dye molecule when it is in its excited state. This packet of energy is a quantum mechanical object that exhibits both wave-like and particle-like behavior just as light does. A manifestation of the wave-like behavior of the exciton is its ability to spread out over a dye molecule network so that it resides on multiple chromophores simultaneously. This process is referred to as excitonic quantum coherent energy transfer. A manifestation of the particle-like behavior is that two excitons can collide and scatter off of each other as they spread over a dye molecule network. By exploiting these two behaviors, in principle, dye molecules can be arranged into networks that function as quantum gates and quantum computers. In order for quantum coherent energy transfer to occur, dye molecules must be brought within a few nanometers of each other and, in order to build a quantum gate, dye molecules must be found for which quantum coherence can be maintained over a large dye network. The fundamental issue this research is seeking to address is whether dye molecules of sufficient quality can be found and whether these can be arranged into the complex networks with the close spacing required in order to make a functioning quantum gate and thereby provide a path to scalable universal quantum computation. This research program provides Boise State University students specific educating, training and mentoring in nanophotonics and computational materials science. This experience equips these students to meet the ever evolving and advancing technological needs of both local and national high tech industries and educational and scientific institutions. Combining education, training, and research with outreach, this research will advance the discovery, innovation, and overall knowledge-based prosperity of science and engineering.Technical Description:The goal of this research is to develop a new materials system for the assembly of quantum computers in which quantum computation is carried out by a many-exciton quantum walk over a network of dye molecules. The two primary tasks of this research are (1) to identify suitable dye molecules and (2) to determine the means by which these dye molecules, when covalently attached to DNA, can be arranged into the requisite configurations to function as quantum gates. In the first task, dye molecules are identified that, when paired using DNA assembly, exhibit large Davydov splitting and strong exciton-exciton interactions as determined by absorption spectroscopy and differential absorption spectroscopy, respectively. In the second task, how best to covalently attach dye molecules to DNA substrates to form quantum coherently interacting dye networks is established. A fundamental issue addressed by this research is how to effectively perform computation with excitons. The work impacts existing quantum computation research by providing new gate architectures that are robust against dispersion and decoherence and that have faster switching times than existing quantum gates.The grant is co-funded by the following programs, OIA; EPSCoR; CISE; ENG; and MPS.