Functional Nitride Nanocrystals for Quantum-Enhanced Technologies

该项目将通过开发新一代可以控制其量子性质的掺杂氮化物纳米材料来改变目前先进纳米材料的研究领域。这些材料将允许在室温下获得量子特性，从而实现并支持长期的量子技术(QTS)的发展。它们也有许多直接的应用(产生量子增强技术)，包括在ICT设备和作为生物标志。在20世纪，基于硅的电子产品的发展彻底改变了世界，成为现代生活背后最普遍的技术。在21世纪，下一个革命性的进步将来自QTS的发展。最广为人知的量子性质是电子的双重粒子波性质。这种性质在目前的技术(例如晶体管)中实际上是有问题的，这些技术依赖于电子作为粒子的行为，从而允许使用势垒来控制它们。随着这些技术尺寸的减小，这些障碍开始失效，因为电子的波状性质开始发挥作用。在QTS中，粒子的波状性质将形成建立功能的基本基础，而不是一个需要克服的问题。额外的量子效应，如“自旋”，以及允许粒子(交换场)之间相互作用的量子机制的使用，提供了这些技术将利用的进一步的关键特性和现象。为了实现这一点，必须开发能够增强和控制这些性能的材料。这可以通过将材料的尺寸减小到与其内部电子的波长相当的长度尺度来实现。实际上，这需要使用纳米材料。到目前为止，最成功的材料是半导体纳米晶(NCS)，其性质可以通过简单地改变尺寸和形状来控制。此外，早期的工作表明，通过在这些纳米晶中引入磁性掺杂，可以观察到丰富的量子行为，包括用光操纵自旋和磁性的能力。这是唯一在室温下表现出这种行为的材料系统，这是未来任何QT的重要要求。该项目将通过这些材料和新的NC材料的先进开发，直接解决EPSRC物理科学新QTS的纳米级功能材料设计和量子物理的重大挑战。通过掺杂，我们将控制NC的光学、电子和磁性，并根据我们将进行的详细表征和建模确定增强它们的策略。此外，我们将通过对氮化物材料的专门研究，解决工业和生物应用中对NCS的吸收问题。这些体系还没有得到详细的研究，提供了一种替代通常研究的含有Cd和Pb等重金属的体系。目前对现有掺杂纳米体系中表现出的量子行为的了解是不完整的，预测和控制性能的能力仍然有限。因此，在我们的工作中，我们将开展一项高级表征计划，范围从使用高灵敏度的NanSQUID设备对NC系统中的磁性相互作用进行基础研究，到在设备中纳入和研究NC。对设备内NC的研究将提供所需的原则证明，以指导和证明进一步的开发工作将成为未来量子增强技术的基础。将这个由跨学科研究人员和行业合作伙伴组成的领先团队聚集在一起，以应对当今物理学家面临的关键挑战，这一连贯和专注的计划提供了一个独特的机会，不仅可以推动该领域的发展，而且可以使英国在QTS方面处于领先地位。

This project will transform the current research field of advanced nanoscale materials through developing a new generation of doped nitride nanomaterials in which their quantum properties can be controlled. These materials will allow access to quantum properties at room-temperature enabling and supporting the development of quantum technologies (QTs) in the long term. They also have a number of immediate applications (generating quantum-enhanced technologies) including in ICT devices and as biomarkers.In the 20th century the development of silicon-based electronics revolutionised the world, becoming the most pervasive technology behind modern-day life. In the 21st century the next revolutionary advance is predicted to come from the development of QTs. The most well-known quantum property is the dual particle-wavelike nature of electrons. This property is actually problematic in current technologies (e.g. transistors) which rely on electrons behaving as particles thus allowing them to be controlled using barriers. As these technologies are reduced in size these barriers start to fail as the wavelike properties of electrons come into play.In QTs the wavelike nature of particles will form the essential basis on which functionality is built, rather than being a problem to be overcome. Additional quantum effects such as 'spin' and the use of quantum mechanisms that allow the interaction between particles (exchange fields) provide further key properties and phenomena which these technologies will exploit. To realise this, materials must be developed which allow these properties to be enhanced and controlled. This can be achieved by reducing the size of a material down to a length scale comparable to the wavelength of the electron within it. In practice this requires the use of nanomaterials. The most successful materials developed to date are semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) whose properties may be controlled through simple changes to size and shape.Furthermore early work has shown that by introducing magnetic dopants into these NCs, rich quantum behaviour can be observed including the ability to manipulate spin and magnetic properties using light. These are the only material systems to have shown such behaviour at room temperature, a significant requirement of any future QTs.The project will directly address the EPSRC Physical Science Grand Challenges of Nanoscale Design of Functional Materials and Quantum Physics for New QTs through advanced development of these and new NC materials. Using doping we will control the NC optical, electronic and magnetic properties and determine strategies for enhancing them based on the detailed characterisation and modelling we will undertake. Furthermore, we will address the issue of uptake of NCs by industry and those working in biological applications through exclusive study of nitride based materials. These systems, which have yet to be studied in any detail, offer an alternative to more the commonly studied systems which contain heavy metals such as Cd and Pb.Current understanding of the quantum behaviour exhibited in existing doped NC systems is incomplete, and the ability to predict and control properties remains limited. In our work we will therefore undertake a program of advanced characterisation ranging from fundamental studies of magnetic interactions in NC systems, using highly sensitive nanoSQUID devices, through to the incorporation and study of NCs within devices. Research into NCs within devices will provide the proof-of-principle required to guide and justify further developmental work that will form the basis of the future quantum-enhanced technologies.Bringing together this leading team of interdisciplinary researchers and industrial partners to address the key challenges that face physical scientists today, this coherent and focused programme offers a unique opportunity to not only advance the field but place the UK in the lead with regard to QTs.