EAGER: Braiding of Half-Flux Quantum Vortices

非技术摘要：这个项目的目的是对半通量量子涡旋进行“编织”。“编织”指的是随着时间的推移，这些量子涡旋围绕彼此移动，这与量子力学交换相对应。这些旋涡被认为具有不同寻常的量子力学交换性质，编织它们的能力是迈向拓扑量子计算的必要步骤。因此，这种涡旋的成功编织本身将是一项重大成就，但也是通往拓扑量子计算机发展的主要设想路线之一的关键里程碑。这里开发的新想法和技术将使非阿贝尔任意子的编织成为可能，这个概念到目前为止还停留在数学家和物理学家的想象中。该项目的更广泛影响与量子计算可能带来的重大社会影响有关，例如，某些类型的计算速度呈指数级增加，从而可能使许多新型的科学和技术努力成为可能。技术摘要：该项目的目标是在p波自旋三重态超导体Sr2RuO4中编织半磁通量子涡旋取得进展。这种半通量涡旋被认为是非阿贝尔任意子，其量子交换应该与费米子和玻色子的量子交换不同。这些任意子的编织被认为是沿着主要设想的路线之一朝着发展拓扑量子计算机迈出的重要一步。该项目的工作包括合成Sr2RuO4材料，测试材料，使用这些材料制造器件，以及解决在此过程中可能遇到的一些问题的理论计划。虽然该项目具有非同寻常的挑战性，因此风险很高，但其成功的潜在回报也非常高，因为它可能使量子计算免受退相干的许多方面的影响。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Nontechnical Abstract: This project is aimed at 'braiding' of the half-flux quantum vortices. 'Braiding' means moving these quantum vortices around each other as a function of time, corresponding to quantum mechanical exchange. These vortices are believed to have unusual quantum mechanical exchange properties, and the ability to braid them is a necessary enabling step towards topological quantum computation. Therefore, the successful braiding of such vortices would be a major achievement in its own right but also a critical enabling milestone along one of the main envisioned routes towards the development of a topological quantum computer. The new ideas and technologies developed here will enable the braiding of non-abelian anyons, a concept that has so far just lived in the imagination of mathematicians and physicists. The project's broader impacts are related to the major societal impacts to which quantum computation might bring, for example, exponentially increased speeds for certain types of computations, which could then enable many new types of scientific and technological endeavors.Technical Abstract: The goal of this project is to make progress towards braiding half-flux quantum vortices in the p-wave spin-triplet superconductor Sr2RuO4. Such half-flux vortices are believed to be non-abelian anyons whose quantum exchange should be distinct from that of fermions and bosons. The braiding of these anyons is considered to be a major enabling step along one of the main envisioned routes towards the development of a topological quantum computer. Efforts in this project include the synthesis of the Sr2RuO4 materials, the testing of the materials, the device fabrication using these materials, as well as a theoretical program to address some of the issues that might be encountered along the way. While this program is unusually challenging and therefore of high risk, the potential rewards for its success are also very high, as it might enable quantum computation protected from many aspects of decoherence.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.