Chirality-Induced Spin Selectivity: An Enabling Technology for Quantum Applications

Adv Mater. 2023 Jul;35(28):e2300472. doi: 10.1002/adma.202300472. Epub 2023 May 12.

Abstract

Molecular spins are promising building blocks of future quantum technologies thanks to the unparalleled flexibility provided by chemistry, which allows the design of complex structures targeted for specific applications. However, their weak interaction with external stimuli makes it difficult to access their state at the single-molecule level, a fundamental tool for their use, for example, in quantum computing and sensing. Here, an innovative solution exploiting the interplay between chirality and magnetism using the chirality-induced spin selectivity effect on electron transfer processes is foreseen. It is envisioned to use a spin-to-charge conversion mechanism that can be realized by connecting a molecular spin qubit to a dyad where an electron donor and an electron acceptor are linked by a chiral bridge. By numerical simulations based on realistic parameters, it is shown that the chirality-induced spin selectivity effect could enable initialization, manipulation, and single-spin readout of molecular qubits and qudits even at relatively high temperatures.

Keywords: chirality-induced spin selectivity; electron transfer; magnetic resonances; molecular nanomagnets; quantum computing.

MeSH terms

  • Computing Methodologies*
  • Electron Transport
  • Quantum Theory*
  • Technology