Advanced metrologies and instrumentations for the ultrafast characterization of quantum materials

用于量子材料超快表征的先进计量学和仪器

• 批准号: 537682-2018
• 负责人: Légaré, François
• 金额: $ 53.48万
• 依托单位: Institut national de la recherche scientifique
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Collaborative Research and Development Grants
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2021-01-01 至 2022-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=720355
• 关键词: Advanced; metrologies; instrumentations; ultrafast; characterization

Imagine hands covered in wide-meshed woolen mittens in winter compared to those protected by modern materials that keep the skin dry and warm and additionally charge your phone. This gives an analogy to how future technologies can profit from new so-called quantum materials that are currently at the forefront of research. These materials are capable of transmitting quantum effects into our macroscopic world, be it for new metrologies or devices used in photonics, electronics or telecommunication industries. To exploit such features however requires in-depth characterization which is greatly limited with current metrologies and calls for new developments. The proposed project will allow researchers from INRS-EMT and its industrial partner Quantum Valley Investments (QVI) - a think-tank developing quantum materials, to create such new metrologies. This requires the combination of conventional laboratory based ultrafast temporal resolution with short wavelength particles (photons and electrons). Fully accessing the interior of such quantum materials demands a combination of well controlled XUV/soft X-ray photons and ultrafast electron bunches. With the X-ray pulses the material's electrons will be characterized, while the electron bunches provide complementary lattice information. At the ALLS facility located in Varennes (Qc), both have been produced in the past and will be shaped within the current research proposal to meet the high requirements necessary for such new material characterization. An important component of this project will be the transfer of a metrology - a high flux harmonic source - to QVI's R&D facility in Waterloo (On). Once the metrologies are set, they will be applied and validated for studying dynamics in materials of high relevance to QVI. The proposed metrologies/instrumentations and the training of highly-qualified personnel will contribute to keep Canada at the forefront of the rapidly moving "quantum revolution", thereby enhancing its leading position across critical sectors that vitally require powerful quantum computation and metrology platforms, such as advanced environmental sensing, high-precision chemical analysis, and increased security protocols.

想象一下，冬天双手戴着宽网眼羊毛手套，而现代材料保护的双手则能保持皮肤干燥和温暖，还能为手机充电。这与未来技术如何从目前处于研究前沿的所谓新量子材料中获益进行了类比。这些材料能够将量子效应传递到我们的宏观世界，无论是用于光子学、电子或电信行业的新计量或设备。然而，要利用这些功能需要深入的表征，这在当前的计量方法中受到很大限制，并且需要新的发展。拟议的项目将允许 INRS-EMT 及其工业合作伙伴 Quantum Valley Investments (QVI)（一家开发量子材料的智囊团）的研究人员创建此类新计量方法。这需要将基于传统实验室的超快时间分辨率与短波长粒子（光子和电子）相结合。完全进入此类量子材料的内部需要良好控制的 XUV/软 X 射线光子和超快电子束的结合。通过 X 射线脉冲，将表征材料的电子，而电子束提供互补的晶格信息。位于 Varennes (Qc) 的 ALLS 设施过去已生产过这两种产品，并将在当前的研究提案中进行调整，以满足此类新材料表征所需的高要求。该项目的一个重要组成部分是将计量（高通量谐波源）转移到 QVI 位于滑铁卢（安省）的研发设施。一旦计量方法确定，它们将被应用和验证，以研究与 QVI 高度相关的材料的动力学。拟议的计量/仪器和高素质人员的培训将有助于使加拿大保持在快速发展的“量子革命”的最前沿，从而增强其在迫切需要强大的量子计算和计量平台的关键领域的领先地位，例如先进的环境传感、高精度化学分析和增强的安全协议。