EAGER: Quantum Manufacturing: In-situ Nano-Patterned Topological Josephson Junctions

EAGER：量子制造：原位纳米图案拓扑约瑟夫森结

• 批准号: 2240489
• 负责人: Shuolong Yang
• 金额: $ 30万
• 依托单位: University of Chicago
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-02-01 至 2025-01-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2240489&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: EAGER; Quantum; Manufacturing; situ; Nano

Quantum computing, where the logic states of zeros and ones can be represented and processed simultaneously, is rapidly emerging as the computing technology of the future, with tremendous promises in information processing, secure communications, and national defense. Among all the platforms of quantum computing, topological quantum computing can realize quantum information processing with immunity to error propagation and material defects. However, it is based on advanced materials which are currently difficult to be processed or engineered, especially at the required nanoscale. This EArly-concept Grant for Exploratory Research (EAGER) Quantum Manufacturing award supports the development of an original manufacturing technique to fabricate basic logic units of a topological quantum computer based on advanced quantum materials. It is inspired by the ancient technique of block printing, where patterns are printed by pressing papers onto a pre-patterned woodblock. In this EAGER project, the team develops nanoscale blocks by carving the pattern on an oxide substrate, and fabricates the quantum devices by depositing ultrathin, iron-based quantum materials on the substrate. This technique avoids air contamination and harsh chemical environment in traditional nanofabrication. Moreover, the manufacturing protocol can be potentially scalable, enabling translational activities to boost the emerging quantum economy. This project has a significant societal impact by inspiring and preparing the next generation of workforce through outreach programs such as the Microscopy And Spectroscopy for Transient Electronic-matter Research (MASTER) Summer School.The most pressing challenge in realizing topological quantum computing is to engineer topological superconductors, where the fundamental quasiparticles called Majorana zero modes carry quantum information with immunity to classical and quantum errors. Iron based topological superconductors - iron selenium tellurium - are promising material candidates due to the intrinsic coupling between the topological electronic states on the surface and the superconductivity in the bulk, yet these complex materials are air-sensitive and incompatible with the traditional nanofabrication techniques. This project seeks to develop a new manufacturing technique to create nanoscale topological Josephson junctions, which are heterostructures composed of iron based topological superconductor islands and a gap of a few nanometers in-between. It is done by pre-patterning the strontium titanate substrates and using the substrates for nanoscale block printing in a molecular beam epitaxy setup. The devices fabricated in this project allow the testing of fundamental scientific hypotheses such as non-abelian statistics in topological superconductors. The manufacturing protocol is scalable and can also be applied broadly to the nanofabrication of other quantum materials.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.

量子计算可以同时表示和处理零和一的逻辑状态，作为未来的计算技术正在迅速崛起，在信息处理、安全通信和国防方面具有巨大的前景。在所有量子计算平台中，拓扑量子计算可以实现不受错误传播和材料缺陷影响的量子信息处理。然而，它基于目前难以加工或工程设计的先进材料，尤其是在所需的纳米尺度上。这项早期概念探索性研究资助 (EAGER) 量子制造奖支持开发原始制造技术，以制造基于先进量子材料的拓扑量子计算机的基本逻辑单元。它的灵感来自古老的木版印刷技术，通过将纸张压到预先图案化的木版上来印刷图案。在这个 EAGER 项目中，团队通过在氧化物基板上雕刻图案来开发纳米级块，并通过在基板上沉积超薄铁基量子材料来制造量子器件。该技术避免了传统纳米制造中的空气污染和恶劣的化学环境。此外，制造协议具有潜在的可扩展性，使转化活动能够促进新兴的量子经济。该项目通过瞬态电子物质研究显微镜和光谱学 (MASTER) 暑期学校等外展项目来激励和准备下一代劳动力，具有重大的社会影响。实现拓扑量子计算最紧迫的挑战是设计拓扑超导体，其中被称为马约拉纳零模式的基本准粒子携带量子信息，并且不受经典错误和量子错误的影响。由于表面拓扑电子态与本体超导性之间的内在耦合，铁基拓扑超导体 - 铁硒碲 - 是有前途的候选材料，但这些复杂材料对空气敏感且与传统纳米制造技术不兼容。该项目旨在开发一种新的制造技术来创建纳米级拓扑约瑟夫森结，这种结是由铁基拓扑超导体岛和其间几纳米间隙组成的异质结构。它是通过对钛酸锶基板进行预图案化并使用该基板在分子束外延装置中进行纳米级块印刷来完成的。该项目制造的设备可以测试基本的科学假设，例如拓扑超导体中的非阿贝尔统计。该制造协议具有可扩展性，也可以广泛应用于其他量子材料的纳米制造。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。