EAGER: Enabling Quantum Leap: Driven Non-Equilibrium Room Temperature Quantum States

非技术性描述：量子信息科学有望彻底改变计算和通信，以及我们对复杂量子系统的基本理解。 量子比特是量子计算的基本单位，是经典计算机二进制状态的量子模拟。量子比特的一个基本要求是，它们保留编码信息的时间（称为寿命）与操纵它们的操作相比要长。 在这里，研究小组提出了一种方法，可以显着增加专门的二维半导体材料中的量子位寿命。量子比特中的信息丢失的主要机制是通过系统与其环境的相互作用，就像钟摆在其悬挂点处因摩擦而减速一样。 增加量子比特寿命的一种常见方法是隔离系统，类似于润滑钟摆的悬挂点，但这对于许多量子信息应用来说是非常不切实际的。这里提出的方法是定期解耦系统从它的环境中使用各种外部控制。通过这种方式，即使在室温下，量子比特的寿命也得到了延长，大大扩展了可用于量子信息应用的材料范围。这些研究目标自然与旨在推进本科生，研究生和博士后培训的教育计划相结合。该项目的机制是开发在线辅导课程和推广工作，以促进广大受众的科学学习。技术说明：量子信息科学的一个主要挑战是量子态之间普遍存在的短暂相干性，这阻碍了量子现象的实际应用。这在室温下尤其成问题，在室温下，环境引起极大加速退相干的大的能量波动。 在这里，研究小组提出了一种方法，可以在室温下大幅增加量子限制二维（2D）半导体的电子相干时间。 该方法是多方面的：1）执行“单个”粒子测量以最小化非均匀加宽，2）识别远低于材料带隙的瞬态激子状态，以及3）通过将激子与强耦合声子解耦的光驱动场来创建独特的无退相干子空间，从而在物质的电子状态之间产生长寿命的相干。基于高度可调的2D有机-无机钙钛矿晶体的拟议平台用于创建远离热平衡的稳健量子态，以应用于量子传感、量子传输和量子信息处理。2D钙钛矿是用于此目的的理想材料，因为它们表现出大量的瞬态和强耦合激子态，可用作量子信息处理和传感中的量子位。 该方法结合了磁共振，量子化学，相干光谱学和量子光学的思想，以创造长寿命的相干光，其电子相干时间比环境条件下凝聚相分子系统中目前可能的电子相干时间长几个数量级。这里提出的工作，使了解如何结构和化学变化的系统，以及修改浴通过外部扰动，影响退相干远离热平衡。该项目包括一个教育部分，通过创建在线辅导课程，传播研究成果和了解这些成果所需的科学背景，促进本科生和研究生的培训。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Nontechnical description: Quantum-information science promises to revolutionize computation and communication, as well as our fundamental understanding of complex quantum systems. Qubits, the fundamental units of quantum computation, are the quantum analogs of the binary states of classical computers. A fundamental requirement of qubits is that the time over which they retain the encoded information, known as lifetime, is long compared to the operations that manipulate them. Here, the research team proposes a method to dramatically increase qubit lifetimes in specialized two-dimensional semiconductor materials. The main mechanism by which information in a qubit is lost is through interactions of the system and its environment, much like a pendulum is slowed down by friction at its suspension point. A common approach to increasing qubit lifetime is to isolate the system, analogous to lubricating the point of suspension of the pendulum, but this is highly impractical for many quantum information applications. The approach proposed here is to periodically decouple the system from its environment using various external controls. In this way, qubit lifetime is extended even at room temperature, greatly expanding the range of materials that can be used for quantum information applications. These research aims are naturally integrated with an educational plan that seeks to advance undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral training. The mechanism of this program is the development of online tutorial courses and outreach work that promotes science learning to a broad audience.Technical description: A major challenge in quantum information sciences has been the prevalence of short-lived coherences between quantum states, which impede practical utilization of quantum phenomena. This is especially problematic at room temperature where the environment causes large energy fluctuations that greatly accelerate decoherence. Here, the research team proposes a method to dramatically increase electronic coherence times in quantum-confined two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors at room temperature. The approach is multi-faceted: 1) perform 'single' particle measurements to minimize heterogeneous broadening, 2) identify transient excitonic states that are well-below the bandgap of the materials, and 3) create unique decoherence-free subspaces by optical driving fields that decouple the excitons from strongly coupled phonons, thereby giving rise to long-lived coherences among electronic states of matter. The proposed platform based on highly tunable 2D organic-inorganic perovskite crystals is used to create robust quantum states far from thermal equilibrium for applications in quantum sensing, quantum transport, and quantum information processing. 2D perovskites are ideal materials for this purpose because they exhibit a large manifold of transient and strongly-coupled exciton states that can be used as qubits in quantum information processing and sensing. The approach combines ideas from magnetic resonance, quantum chemistry, coherent spectroscopy, and quantum optics in order to create long-lived coherences with orders-of-magnitude longer electronic coherence times than currently possible in condensed-phase molecular systems under ambient conditions. The work proposed here enables understanding of how structural and chemical changes to the system, as well as modifications of the bath through external perturbations, affect decoherence far from thermal equilibrium. This project incorporates an educational component that advances undergraduate and graduate training through the creation of online tutorial courses that disseminate the research findings and the scientific background necessary to understand them. These courses are made available to a wide audience of students and teachers at the K-12 levels.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.