Empa, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, has inaugurated a new laboratory dedicated to exploring quantum effects in carbon-based materials. The CarboQuant project, supported by the Werner Siemens Foundation and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), aims to develop sustainable quantum technologies, including components for quantum computers. The lab, opened on January 30, 2025, focuses on nanographenes and graphene nanoribbons, carbon nanostructures whose atomic precision allows targeted manipulation of quantum effects.
At the heart of the lab are two state-of-the-art scanning tunneling microscopes (STMs), equipped with high-frequency microwave radiation to control quantum states such as electron spins. These spins, which can exist in superposition states of “up” and “down,” are a promising basis for quantum computing. The lab’s research, led by Yujeong Bae, head of the new quantum magnetism group, aims to achieve coherent control of spins in nanographenes, a critical step toward functional quantum technologies. The team also seeks to create linked spins within nanographenes, enabling more complex quantum interactions.
The CarboQuant project’s long-term goal is to develop carbon-based quantum devices that operate at room temperature, moving beyond the lab’s current reliance on ultra-high vacuum chambers and cryogenic cooling. The researchers aim to build a materials platform for studying carbon-based quantum materials, advancing both fundamental understanding and practical applications. The project, running until 2032, positions Empa at the forefront of quantum materials research.
For more details, visit the original announcement by Empa here.
March 6, 2025
