MPS/CHE-EPSRC: Pushing Boundaries in Molecular Design to Achieve Long-Lived Qubit Coherence

Researchers from the University of Rhode Island along with their collaborators at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom are developing new molecular quantum materials that retain quantum information for longer periods by precisely controlling the interactions between electron and nuclear spins. Quantum technologies promise transformative advances in secure communication, sensing, and computing, but their performance is limited because fragile quantum states rapidly lose coherence through interactions with their surroundings. One particularly promising strategy is to develop a molecular qubit, where its spin-dynamics can be tailored with exceptional precision to control quantum behavior. The research team will synthesize and characterize a new family of molecular qubits based on group 5 transition metals and use advanced electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy to understand how molecular structure governs quantum coherence and spin interactions. Their discoveries could establish new design principles for molecular quantum materials that support more robust quantum operations and enable new approaches to quantum information processing. The project will provide interdisciplinary training for undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers in synthetic chemistry, quantum science, and advanced magnetic resonance spectroscopy through collaborative research and international exchanges between the United States and the United Kingdom. This award is made under the NSF-UKRI lead agency opportunity. The project will investigate how molecular design influences electron-nuclear spin dynamics and quantum coherence in transition-metal molecular qubits. Researchers will synthesize a series of monometallic group 5 radical complexes with well-defined ligand environments to determine how electronic structure affects coherence times and clock transitions. Systematic ligand modifications will be employed to reduce magnetic noise arising from the molecular environment and thereby suppress decoherence. In parallel, multimetallic molecular architectures connected through rigid organic linkers will be prepared to investigate controlled spin-spin interactions relevant to quantum entanglement and information transfer. These compounds will be characterized using advanced multifrequency pulsed electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and complementary magnetic measurements performed through the collaboration between the University of Rhode Island and the University of Manchester. Together, these studies will establish molecular design rules for creating long-lived, coherent quantum spin systems and advance the fundamental understanding of molecular platforms for quantum information science. 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.