Semiconductor Nitride Nanocrystals for Quantum Technologies

近年来，我们对微妙的量子效应如何控制材料的宏观行为的理解，开启了新功能量子材料发展的新纪元。这些新的量子材料和设备有望在从计算、信息和通信技术到新型传感平台和先进能源应用等各种应用领域产生变革性的量子技术。在这一框架内，量子材料的一个应用是设计和开发新型固态单光子发射体，用于先进的器件应用，如量子发光二极管、量子辐射计、量子密钥分配、生物医学成像和高分辨率生物标记。在这方面，该提议的目标是通过使用新的气相团簇团聚(GPCA)技术合成半导体纳米晶体来催化这些应用的新量子材料的发展。GPCA技术为纳米晶体生长过程中掺杂离子物种的可控合成和引入提供了巨大的潜力，从而使布拉格腔和量子电动力学腔器件的制造成为可能。这个国际项目由多伦多大学和曼彻斯特大学的研究人员合作，汇集了独特的干化学纳米材料合成、先进功能材料表征以及器件设计和制造方面的基础专业知识。互补的专业知识将有助于加快量子材料和设备的发展，并相应地推动加拿大跻身于发展这一新兴量子技术领域的前沿国家之列。

Our understanding of how subtle quantum effects can control the macroscopic behaviour of materials in recent years is ushering in a new era in the development of new functional quantum materials. These new quantum materials and devices are expected to result in transformative quantum technologies for a variety of application fields ranging from computing, information and communication technologies to novel sensing platforms and advanced energy applications. Within this framework, one application of quantum materials is the design and development of new types of solid-state single photon emitters for advanced device applications such as in quantum light emitting diodes, quantum radiometer, quantum key distribution, biomedical imaging, and high-resolution biomarkers.In this regard, the objective of this proposal is to catalyse the development of new quantum materials for these applications via the synthesis of semiconductor nanocrystals using the newly available gas-phase cluster agglomeration (GPCA) technique. The GPCA technique offers significant potential for controlled synthesis and introduction of dopant ion species during nanocrystal growth, and thus enable the fabrication of Bragg cavity and quantum electrodynamic cavity devices.This international project, a collaboration between researchers at the University of Toronto and University of Manchester, is a confluence of fundamental expertise in unique dry chemistry nanoscale materials synthesis, advanced functional materials characterization, and device design and fabrication. The complementary expertise will serve to accelerate the development of quantum materials and devices and will accordingly advance Canada among the forefront nations developing this emerging field of quantum technologies.