Argonne researchers have developed a cutting-edge technique to study atomic vibrations near material interfaces, opening doors to new quantum applications in computing and sensing.

Zooming in to the “pixels of reality”: the electron microscope helps us to do that. However, it is unsuited for particularly sensitive targets. A Vienna-based research group intends to avoid this problem with a quantum optics trick and thereby set new standards in high-resolution microscopy.

A research team led by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) scientists will use a combination of advanced electron microscopy, materials synthesis, and theoretical techniques to study quantum behavior in materials at the atomic level. They will use model material systems to study how electrons and their properties, such as spin and orbit, move through the materials. The project will focus on understanding transport phenomena, collectively known as Hall effects. Hall effects occur when an electric current flows through a material, typically in the presence of an external magnetic field, resulting in a build up of charge or spin in a direction perpendicular to the current flow.

A team of researchers, led by scientist Lin Zhou of Ames National Laboratory, has made important progress towards understanding the role of surface oxides in improving quantum computing circuits performance. Surface oxides are a primary cause of decoherence, or loss of quantum properties in quantum circuits. The team is part of a larger effort by the Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Center (SQMS) to improve quantum computers.

In a recent breakthrough, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory and Northern Illinois University discovered that they could use light to detect the spin state in a class of materials called perovskites (specifically in this research methylammonium lead iodide, or MAPbI3). Perovskites have many potential uses, from solar panels to quantum technology.

A research team led by the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory has devised a unique method to observe changes in materials at the atomic level. The technique opens new avenues for understanding and developing advanced materials for quantum computing and electronics.

A research group led by scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory has uncovered details about the formation and behavior of mobile, microscopic, particle-like objects called “excitons” in a class of materials known as van der Waals magnets.

A research team from City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) is working on a new quantum electron microscope (QEM) to eliminate interaction between the electron beam and sample. At this stage, the team is using partial key components of QEM to design a compact hybrid transmission and scanning electron microscope that can operate at room temperature, ushering in a new era for electron microscopes. The CityUHK team plans to manufacture and commercialise this groundbreaking innovation within three years.

Physicists in Konstanz (Germany) have discovered a way to imprint a previously unseen geometrical form of chirality onto electrons. The electrons are shaped into chiral coils of mass and charge.

ICFO researchers lead a theoretical study on the interaction between low-energy electrons and light, showing for the first time the emergence of quantum and recoil effects as a consequence. The results could enhance ultrafast electron microscopy, among other potential applications.