The Quantum Revolution: Emerging Technologies at the Atomic Scale

Traditional electronics are rapidly approaching the length scale of atoms and molecules; the latest computer chips in development include transistors the size of a single strand of DNA. This means that a single atom out of place can have outsized negative consequences — thus requiring an ever-increasing perfect control of materials.

In this talk, David Awschalom will discuss a surprising and promising pathway out of this conundrum that embraces these atomic ‘defects’ to construct devices that enable new information processing, communication and sensing technologies based on the quantum nature of electrons and atomic nuclei.

In addition to electrons’ negative charge — the key property used in classical computing — individual defects in semiconductors and molecules possess an electronic spin state that can be employed as a quantum bit. These so-called ‘qubits’ can be manipulated and read using a simple combination of light and microwaves, retaining their quantum properties over millisecond timescales. With these foundations in hand, Awschalom will discuss emerging opportunities to atomically engineer qubits for a variety of exciting applications, from nuclear memories and entangled registers to sensors and networks for science and technology.