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

非技术性说明：这是一个激励基金。具有解决目前超级计算机能力之外的问题的能力的通用量子计算机尚未实现。这个跨学科项目的重点是使用DNA自组装将有机染料分子组装成复杂的激子网络是否为构建此类计算机提供了可行的途径。激子是当有机染料分子处于其激发态时驻留在有机染料分子中的能量包。这个能量包是一个量子力学物体，它表现出像光一样的波动和粒子行为。激子的波状行为的表现是其在染料分子网络上扩散的能力，使得其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。粒子状行为的一个表现是，当两个激子在染料分子网络上扩散时，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网络，作为量子门和量子计算机。为了使量子相干能量转移发生，染料分子必须彼此在几纳米内，并且为了建立量子门，必须找到染料分子，其量子相干性可以在大型染料网络上保持。这项研究试图解决的根本问题是，是否可以找到足够质量的染料分子，以及这些分子是否可以被安排到复杂的网络中，以形成一个功能性的量子门，从而为可扩展的通用量子计算提供一条途径。该研究项目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具体教育、培训和指导。这种经验使这些学生能够满足当地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。本研究将教育、培训、研究与推广相结合，推进科学与工程的发现、创新和以知识为基础的整体繁荣。技术说明：本研究的目标是开发一种新的材料系统，用于组装量子计算机，在量子计算机中，量子计算通过多激子量子行走在染料分子网络上进行。这项研究的两个主要任务是（1）识别合适的染料分子和（2）确定这些染料分子在共价连接到DNA时可以排列成必要的构型以用作量子门的方法。在第一个任务中，染料分子被确定，当配对使用DNA组装，表现出大的达维多夫分裂和强激子-激子相互作用，分别通过吸收光谱和差分吸收光谱确定。在第二个任务中，如何最好地将染料分子共价连接到DNA基底上，以形成量子相干相互作用的染料网络。本研究解决的一个基本问题是如何有效地执行计算与激子。这项工作通过提供新的门架构来影响现有的量子计算研究，这些门架构对色散和退相干具有鲁棒性，并且具有比现有量子门更快的切换时间。该资助由以下项目共同资助：OIA; EPSCoR; CISE; 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.