Award Abstract # 1936250
QII-TAQS: Topological Quantum Devices from Nanoscale Mechanical Control of Materials

NSF Org: OSI
Office of Strategic Initiatives (OSI)
Recipient: UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER
Initial Amendment Date: August 6, 2019
Latest Amendment Date: August 6, 2019
Award Number: 1936250
Award Instrument: Standard Grant
Program Manager: Miriam Deutsch
mdeutsch@nsf.gov
 (703)292-5360
OSI
 Office of Strategic Initiatives (OSI)
MPS
 Direct For Mathematical & Physical Scien
Start Date: September 1, 2019
End Date: August 31, 2024 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount: $1,549,179.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date: $1,549,179.00
Funds Obligated to Date: FY 2019 = $1,549,179.00
History of Investigator:
  • Stephen Wu (Principal Investigator)
    stephen.wu@rochester.edu
  • Hesam Askari (Co-Principal Investigator)
  • John Nichol (Co-Principal Investigator)
Recipient Sponsored Research Office: University of Rochester
910 GENESEE ST
ROCHESTER
NY  US  14611-3847
(585)275-4031
Sponsor Congressional District: 25
Primary Place of Performance: University of Rochester
610 Computer Studies Building
Rochester
NY  US  14627-0231
Primary Place of Performance
Congressional District:
25
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): F27KDXZMF9Y8
Parent UEI:
NSF Program(s): QL-The Quantum Leap: Leading t,
OFFICE OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY AC,
EPMD-ElectrnPhoton&MagnDevices
Primary Program Source: 01001920DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
Program Reference Code(s): 057Z, 7203
Program Element Code(s): 105Y, 1253, 1517
Award Agency Code: 4900
Fund Agency Code: 4900
Assistance Listing Number(s): 47.049

ABSTRACT

Advancements in computational power over the past fifty years have mostly relied on shrinking the size of the transistor, the fundamental constituent element of the integrated circuits that make up computers. As physical limits of how small transistors can be are reached, further progress depends on exploring new concepts. One of these concepts is quantum computing, in which the quantum state of individual quantum bits (qubits) is manipulated to achieve exponential speedup of computational performance. A critical challenge to quantum computing lies in the stability and manipulation of qubits, which are highly sensitive and easily perturbed by the environment. This project explores the creation and manipulation of topological qubits, which are protected against external perturbation by their topological nature. The project controls the superconducting and topological nature of materials by applying stressors to two-dimensional materials in a device geometry similar to a transistor. Since the device geometry mirrors the conventional transistor, the potential exists to create a new fundamental constituent element for an entirely new generation of quantum integrated circuits that can be controlled using mechanical principles. The project also seeks to ensure the growth of a quantum educated society and workforce through educational course development at the pre-collegiate, undergraduate, and graduate levels. The investigators plan to conduct a high-school summer program on quantum science and engineering, as well as to introduce new courses and certification programs at the university level.

Decoherence in quantum computing devices has been a long-term problem. A potential solution is the use of topologically protected Majorana bound states that may be fused and braided together to perform quantum operations. This project explores the foundations of generating, detecting, and manipulating such topologically protected quantum states through the mechanical control of quantum materials. The primary goal of this research is to strain-engineer materials for the exploration and manipulation of Majorana bound states, by controlling the superconducting and topological nature of monolayer materials. Device-scale stressors are used to create a fully solid-state device where the properties of two-dimensional transition metal ditelluride alloys may be manipulated with strain in a three-terminal transistor geometry. In doing so, the basis is set for using strain as a new type of control knob for band topology and superconductivity. The project applies strain-engineering concepts, including using static stressors from thin film stress capping layers, and dynamic stressors from piezoelectric oxides. Transition metal ditelluride alloys have been shown experimentally and theoretically to contain a vast library of strain tunable quantum phases. Through nanoscale strain engineering with these phases, superconducting and other quantum devices can be nanopatterned and controlled to explore Majorana bound state physics. Theoretical multiscale modeling and simulation of the mechanical properties of these 2D materials and devices will feed back to the experimental team to achieve the full potential of strain-controlling quantum materials.

This project is jointly funded by the Quantum Leap Big Idea Program and the Division of Electrical, Communication, and Cyber Systems in the Engineering Directorate.

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.

PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH

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(Showing: 1 - 10 of 17)
Azizimanesh, Ahmad and Dey, Aditya and Chowdhury, Shoieb A. and Wenner, Eric and Hou, Wenhui and Peña, Tara and Askari, Hesam and Wu, Stephen M. "Strain engineering in 2D hBN and graphene with evaporated thin film stressors" Applied Physics Letters , v.123 , 2023 https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0153935 Citation Details
Dey, Aditya and Chowdhury, Shoieb Ahmed and Peña, Tara and Singh, Sobhit and Wu, Stephen M. and Askari, Hesam "An Atomistic Insight into Moiré Reconstruction in Twisted Bilayer Graphene beyond the Magic Angle" ACS Applied Engineering Materials , v.1 , 2023 https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaenm.2c00259 Citation Details
Peña, Tara and Dey, Aditya and Chowdhury, Shoieb A. and Azizimanesh, Ahmad and Hou, Wenhui and Sewaket, Arfan and Watson, Carla and Askari, Hesam and Wu, Stephen M. "Moiré engineering in 2D heterostructures with process-induced strain" Applied Physics Letters , v.122 , 2023 https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0142406 Citation Details
Peña, Tara and Holt, Jewel and Sewaket, Arfan and Wu, Stephen M. "Ultrasonic delamination based adhesion testing for high-throughput assembly of van der Waals heterostructures" Journal of Applied Physics , v.132 , 2022 https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0126446 Citation Details
Lei, Yu and Zhang, Tianyi and Lin, Yu-Chuan and Granzier-Nakajima, Tomotaroh and Bepete, George and Kowalczyk, Dorota A. and Lin, Zhong and Zhou, Da and Schranghamer, Thomas F. and Dodda, Akhil and Sebastian, Amritanand and Chen, Yifeng and Liu, Yuanyue a "Graphene and Beyond: Recent Advances in Two-Dimensional Materials Synthesis, Properties, and Devices" ACS Nanoscience Au , v.2 , 2022 https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnanoscienceau.2c00017 Citation Details
Peña, Tara and Azizimanesh, Ahmad and Qiu, Liangyu and Mukherjee, Arunabh and Vamivakas, A. Nick and Wu, Stephen M. "Temperature and time stability of process-induced strain engineering on 2D materials" Journal of Applied Physics , v.131 , 2022 https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0075917 Citation Details
Hou, Wenhui and Chowdhury, Shoieb A. and Dey, Aditya and Watson, Carla and Peña, Tara and Azizimanesh, Ahmad and Askari, Hesam and Wu, Stephen M. "Nonvolatile Ferroelastic Strain from Flexoelectric Internal Bias Engineering" Physical Review Applied , v.17 , 2022 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevApplied.17.024013 Citation Details
Kandel, Yadav P. and Qiao, Haifeng and Nichol, John M. "Perspective on exchange-coupled quantum-dot spin chains" Applied Physics Letters , v.119 , 2021 https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0055908 Citation Details
Lordi, Vincenzo and Nichol, John M. "Advances and opportunities in materials science for scalable quantum computing" MRS Bulletin , v.46 , 2021 https://doi.org/10.1557/s43577-021-00133-0 Citation Details
Watson, Carla and Peña, Tara and Abdin, Marah and Khan, Tasneem and Wu, Stephen M. "Dynamic adhesion of 2D materials to mixed-phase BiFeO 3 structural phase transitions" Journal of Applied Physics , v.132 , 2022 https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0096686 Citation Details
Peña, Tara and Chowdhury, Shoieb A and Azizimanesh, Ahmad and Sewaket, Arfan and Askari, Hesam and Wu, Stephen M "Strain engineering 2D MoS 2 with thin film stress capping layers" 2D Materials , v.8 , 2021 https://doi.org/10.1088/2053-1583/ac08f2 Citation Details
(Showing: 1 - 10 of 17)

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