This project seeks to develop versatile and widely deployable quantum sensors based on electronic spins in luminescent molecules.
By harnessing fundamental features of quantum mechanics—such as superposition and entanglement—quantum sensors offer new frontiers for detecting quantities ranging from magnetic and electric fields to strain and temperature. In particular, optically addressable electronic spins in solid-state systems have emerged as a promising platform for quantum sensing due to their ability to be coherently manipulated and sensitively detected, even at room temperature and at the single-spin level [1]. Such systems offer exciting prospects such as nanoscale magnetic-resonance imaging, opening applications from understanding biological systems to mapping the structure and dynamics of novel materials/devices.
To date, the most prominent spin-based quantum sensing platforms in the solid state have been based on crystal defects in wide band gap semiconductors such as diamond. While powerful, such systems face several challenges: firstly, since their properties are fixed by the defect/crystal structure it is challenging to tailor them for a specific sensing application; secondly, confinement within a host crystal limits their proximity to external targets and therefore their integration with devices and biosystems; and thirdly, precisely controlling their spatial placement is difficult, limiting their coupling to targets of interest. Housing spin-based quantum sensors in chemically synthesised molecules offers an exciting pathway to overcome these challenges: the atomistic tunability of molecular systems opens up quantum sensors that can be tailored to a specific sensing target, and their compact (~1 nm) size, modular nature, and scope for chemical functionalisation and self-assembly opens up versatile nanoscale integration with targets of interest.
Our work has shown that the key ingredients for spin-based quantum sensing can be realised in chemically synthesised molecules, including effective optical-spin interfaces [Science, 370, 1309 (2020)] [2], and room-temperature operation [Phys. Rev. Lett. 133, 120801 (2024)] [3]. Building on these demonstrations, this project seeks to advance the application of molecular spins as deployable quantum sensors. By combining coherent control, optical spin-state detection, and structure-function insights, you will experimentally investigate a range of candidate molecules with the overarching goal of developing nanoscale quantum sensors with unprecedented deployability. Through this multidisciplinary work you will develop a range of expertise including qubit control, spin resonance, and advanced optical spectroscopy; and overall, contribute to the development of novel quantum sensors.
Further information
This project will be hosted in the Quantum Optospintronics Group at the University of Glasgow, led by Dr. Sam Bayliss. Our group has state-of-the art capabilities including for cryogenic confocal microscopy, electron/nuclear spin resonance, and single-spin detection, and as part of a dynamic group—which spans solid-state physics, quantum engineering, and physical chemistry—you will have significant opportunities to shape an exciting research agenda.