Room temperature nano quantum engineering

Quantum nano-structures are likely to become primary components of future electronic devices. Practical realization of quantum devices faces a number of challenges. Besides apparent difficulties with device fabrication, which typically requires micro- to nanometer scale resolution, there are numerous fundamental problems. These include decoherence that erodes operation of a quantum device as well as the problems of control, such as manipulation and measurement of the quantum states in a device. However, the benefits from the successful implementation of these devices can be enormous and have to do with the fact that, in their operation, the quantum devices utilize the fundamental properties of nature that do not have direct analogs in classical physics. A good example would be counting single electrons and spins, or working with interference of wave functions doing calculations, and in this way changing computers as we know them today. We aim to develop a novel nano tool box controlling the coupling to the environment and the quantum states, opening a way for room temperature quantum operating devices. In our work we explore the physical properties of our new generic hybrid nanoengineered toolbox, which includes semiconductor narrowband nanocrystals, metal nano-particles and organic molecules that link the nanocrystals to a substrate. In the ultra-small, high-quality nanocrystals the quantum states remain well defined at high temperatures. These may couple to the semiconductor devices by mono layers of organic molecules that serve as efficient controlled pathways.