The past two decades have witnessed immense advances in quantum information technology (QIT), benefited by advances in physics, chemistry, biology, and materials science and engineering. It is intriguing to consider whether these diverse molecular and supramolecular structures and materials, partially inspired by quantum effects as observed in sophisticated biological systems such as light-harvesting complexes in photosynthesis and the magnetic compass of migratory birds, might play a role in future QIT. If so, how? Herein, we review materials and specify the relationship between structures and quantum properties, and we identify the challenges and limitations that have restricted the intersection of QIT and chemical materials. Examples are broken down into two categories: materials for quantum sensing where nonclassical function is observed on the molecular scale and systems where nonclassical phenomena are present due to intermolecular interactions. We discuss challenges for materials chemistry and make comparisons to related systems found in nature. We conclude that if chemical materials become relevant for QIT, they will enable quite new kinds of properties and functions.
The past two decades have witnessed immense advances in quantum information technology (QIT), benefited by advances in physics, chemistry, biology, and materials science and engineering. It is intriguing to consider whether these diverse molecular and supramolecular structures and materials, partially inspired by quantum effects as observed in sophisticated biological systems such as light-harvesting complexes in photosynthesis and the magnetic compass of migratory birds, might play a role in future QIT. If so, how? Herein, we review materials and specify the relationship between structures and quantum properties, and we identify the challenges and limitations that have restricted the intersection of QIT and chemical materials. Examples are broken down into two categories: materials for quantum sensing where nonclassical function is observed on the molecular scale and systems where nonclassical phenomena are present due to intermolecular interactions. We discuss challenges for materials chemistry and make comparisons to related systems found in nature. We conclude that if chemical materials become relevant for QIT, they will enable quite new kinds of properties and functions.
Advancements in the field of Quantum Information Science (QIS) are expected to produce groundbreaking technologies in computing, sensing, and communications. These developments could have an impact on the economy and workforce of the United States. In order to achieve this vision and sustain U.S. leadership in QIS, however, a robust research enterprise needs to be established. Presently, QIS has reached an inflection point for new discoveries; searching for novel quantum molecular materials that are operational, practical, and efficient is now the new frontier. Since chemistry is the study of manipulating molecular properties across different lengths and time-scales, it has a tremendous opportunity to take a leading role in this untapped domain. Blending QIS and chemistry together will accelerate progress in designing new quantum molecular materials, developing novel measurement tools and techniques, and establishing new quantum computing standards. A recent National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) report, Advancing Chemistry and Quantum Information Science, points to fundamental research areas at the interface of these two disciplines that should be pursued in the near-term. Here, a brief overview of these research directions as well as collaboration and infrastructure needs identified from the report are presented.
I n this Physical Chemistry of Quantum Information Science (QIS) Virtual Special Issue, we delve into the research areas that have attracted significant attention and promise to reshape the landscape of quantum information science with a focus on molecular and materials systems.The topics explored here encompass theoretical and computational pursuits as well as cutting-edge experiments.The issue was inspired by recent innovations and discoveries in this active research field.Control of molecular quantum states has improved dramatically thanks to advances in producing cold molecular beams and trapped gas samples. 1 Manipulation of individual molecules in optical tweezers and of many-body interactions in various optical lattice configurations has opened exciting possibilities. 2 Likewise, control of quantum states has been achieved or proposed in a variety of materials, from defects in bulk materials to thin films and quantum dots and even large molecules such as dyes and fullerenes.The breadth of quantum technologies to which these molecular and materials platforms have the potential to cater is vast, including areas of sensing, computing, quantum optics, and beyond.Specifically, quantum computing may be poised to augment classical computations and offer solutions for challenging chemical problems, while quantum sensors can exhibit unprecedented sensitivity.These possibilities go beyond what is attainable with today's limited number of materials platforms, illustrating the central role of chemistry in the field of QIS.In this Virtual Special Issue, we explore quantum information science where molecular systems take center stage.We investigate the topic of quantum algorithms tailored for quantum chemistry, molecular dynamics, and statistical mechanics.This includes a quest to enhance the accuracy of classical computations for difficult chemistry problems involving strongly correlated systems in the works by A.
In this chapter, we explore the opportunities that the dynamical quantum effects recently revealed as components of key functions of plants and higher organisms and described in previous chapters, might offer for the design of new nano-scale materials possessing quantum-enhanced functionality. We discuss the potential applications of such biomimetic materials with engineered quantum properties, and present a review of progress thus far on two prototypical systems: biomimetic light-harvesting materials and biomimetic magnetic sensors. Potential applications of bio-inspired quantum materials It is well appreciated that quantum dynamics can lead to enhanced performance in tasks such asmetrology (Giovannetti et al. , 2011), computing (Nielsen and Chuang, 2001) and communication (Gisin and Thew, 2007). However, such enhancements have yet to be realized for artificial systems in the biological domain. As discussed in earlier chapters of this book, it has been demonstrated or hypothesized that quantum processes are critical to the accurate description of the functional dynamics of several biological systems. What opportunities do these observations present for the motivation and development of biomimetic materials? The possibility of constructing artificial materials with the ability to mimic natural systems leads to a diverse range of potential applications. A key question is thus whether we can use nature's ingenuity as inspiration and incorporate quantum effects into synthetic systems to provide quantum-enhanced function? Such explorations also hold out the tandem promise of achieving greater understanding of the role of quantum mechanics in biological function, since in contrast with the traditional top-down approach to investigating natural systems, this perspective requires the development of a bottom-up approach to synthesis of unnatural systems possessing capability to mimic all or part of some biological role.
Abstract Quantum technologies leverage the laws of quantum physics to achieve performance advantages in applications ranging from computing to communications and sensing. They have been proposed to have a range of applications in biological science. This includes better microscopes and biosensors, improved simulations of molecular processes, and new capabilities to control the behavior of biomolecules and chemical reactions. Quantum effects are also predicted, with much debate, to have functional benefits in biology, for instance, allowing more efficient energy transport and improving the rate of enzyme catalysis. Conversely, the robustness of biological systems to disorder from their environment has led to proposals to use them as components within quantum technologies, for instance as light sources for quantum communication systems. Together, this breadth of prospective applications at the interface of quantum and biological science suggests that quantum physics will play an important role in stimulating future biotechnological advances. This review aims to provide an overview of this emerging field of quantum biotechnology, introducing current capabilities, future prospects, and potential areas of impact. The review is written to be accessible to the non‐expert and focuses on the four key areas of quantum‐enabled sensing, quantum‐enabled imaging, quantum biomolecular control, and quantum effects in biology.
Conspectus The enhanced interest in quantum-related phenomena has provided new opportunities for chemists to push the limits of detection and analysis of chemical processes. As some have called this the second quantum revolution, a time has come to apply the rules learned from previous research in quantum phenomena toward new methods and technologies important to chemists. While there has been great interest recently in quantum information science (QIS), the quest to understand how nonclassical states of light interact with matter has been ongoing for more than two decades. Our entry into this field started around this time with the use of materials to produce nonclassical states of light. Here, the process of multiphoton absorption led to photon-number squeezed states of light, where the photon statistics are sub-Poissonian. In addition to the great interest in generating squeezed states of light, there was also interest in the formation of entangled states of light. While much of the effort is still in foundational physics, there are numerous new avenues as to how quantum entanglement can be applied to spectroscopy, imaging, and sensing. These opportunities could have a large impact on the chemical community for a broad spectrum of applications. In this Account, we discuss the use of entangled (or quantum) light for spectroscopy as well as applications in microscopy and interferometry. The potential benefits of the use of quantum light are discussed in detail. From the first experiments in porphyrin dendrimer systems by Dr. Dong-Ik Lee in our group to the measurements of the entangled two photon absorption cross sections of biological systems such as flavoproteins, the usefulness of entangled light for spectroscopy has been illustrated. These early measurements led the way to more advanced measurements of the unique characteristics of both entangled light and the entangled photon absorption cross-section, which provides new control knobs for manipulating excited states in molecules. The first reports of fluorescence-induced entangled processes were in organic chromophores where the entangled photon cross-section was measured. These results would later have widespread impact in applications such as entangled two-photon microscopy. From our design, construction and implementation of a quantum entangled photon excited microscope, important imaging capabilities were achieved at an unprecedented low excitation intensity of 10 7 photons/s, which is 6 orders of magnitude lower than the excitation level for the classical two-photon image. New reports have also illustrated an advantage of nonclassical light in Raman imaging as well. From a standpoint of more precise measurements, the use of entangled photons in quantum interferometry may offer new opportunities for chemistry research. Experiments that combine molecular spectroscopy and quantum interferometry, by utilizing the correlations of entangled photons in a Hong–Ou–Mandel (HOM) interferometer, have been carried out. The initial experiment showed that the HOM signal is sensitive to the presence of a resonant organic sample placed in one arm of the interferometer. In addition, parameters such as the dephasing time have been obtained with the opportunity for even more advanced phenomenology in the future.
Abstract When atoms come together and bond, these new states are called molecules and their properties determine many aspects of our daily life. Strangely enough, it is conceivable for light and molecules to bond, creating new hybrid light–matter states with far‐reaching consequences for these strongly coupled materials. Even stranger, there is no “real” light needed to obtain the effects; it simply appears from the vacuum, creating “something from nothing.” Surprisingly, the setup required to create these materials has become moderately straightforward. In its simplest form, one only needs to put a strongly absorbing material at the appropriate place between two mirrors, and quantum magic can appear. Only recently has it been discovered that strong coupling can affect a host of significant effects at a material and molecular level, which were thought to be independent of the “light” environment: phase transitions, conductivity, chemical reactions, etc. This review addresses the fundamentals of this opportunity: the quantum mechanical foundations, the relevant plasmonic and photonic structures, and a description of the various applications, connecting material chemistry with quantum information, entanglement, nonlinear optics, and chemical reactivity. Ultimately, revealing the interplay between light and matter in this new regime opens attractive avenues for various new technologies.