Optically addressable molecular spin qubits are promising systems for quantum information processing due to their tunability, modularity and scalability. In this talk, I will give an overview of the development of a chromium(IV)-based optically addressable molecular spin qubit. The ability to chemically synthesize these spin-bearing molecules provides a bottom-up approach to the design of their spin and optical properties. I will describe how the spin coherence of the molecular qubit is enhanced by inserting the molecule into a non-isostructural host matrix and generating noise-protected clock transitions. We model the coherence from first principles as a function of the qubit’s changed symmetry, and further experimentally demonstrate improved spin contrast and spin-lattice relaxation time for this qubit. I will also briefly discuss the effects of isotopic modification of the nuclear spin environment on the spin and optical properties of the chromium molecular qubit system. Finally, I will present progress towards growth of thin films of these molecular spin qubits with the goal of integration with devices. These results demonstrate our ability to optimize the spin-optical interfaces of molecular qubits through chemical design and highlight the promise of molecular spin qubits as building blocks of quantum technologies.
Host: Jack Harris (jack.harris@yale.edu)
