MSU partnership makes quantum leap

MSU is collaborating with the University of Arkansas (UA) to establish the MonArk Quantum Foundry with a grant of $20 million from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The two universities are working toward expediting the development of quantum materials and devices. Their work will develop tools to assist research in 2D materials for quantum mechanics.

Yves Idzerda, dean of the College of Letters and Science and a professor in the department of physics, is directing the MonArk Quantum Foundry. Nick Borys, a professor in the physics department, revealed in an interview with the Exponent that he and Professor Hugh Churchill of UA knew and respected each other’s work and together realized they could accomplish much more as a team than as separate candidates.

“Unfortunately, the new equipment they needed to study these materials would require more money than an individual researcher (or 2 researchers) was likely to get,” Idzerda said. “My job was to recognize the talent and the opportunity to help them find a way to realize that vision through a larger type of grant.”

The Montana and Arkansas (MonArk) Quantum Foundry is only the second research group to receive a grant from the NSF’s Enabling Quantum Leap: Convergent Accelerated Discovery Foundries for Quantum Materials Science, Engineering and Information program. The program is designed to foster connections between science and industry, which is the sole purpose of a foundry, according to Idzerda.

Quantum technology has multiple layers of complexity, “for the MonArk Quantum Foundry, a good description is that unlike classical physics where things behave according to our everyday human experience, quantum mechanics helps us understand the unusual behaviors observed at the smallest scale where atoms and subatomic particles live,” Idzerda said. Atoms and subatomic particles are able to act as either particles or waves depending upon the perceived angle. Without such technology, this would never occur in our everyday experiences. “Quantum technologies seek to harness these unusual properties for everyone's benefit,” Idzerda said.

2D materials, the focus of the program, are composed of a single layer of atoms and sometimes referred to as a monolayer. This layer “can be thought of as a sheet that is one atom (atomic layer) thick,” Idzerda said. “If I progressively make something thinner by peeling away layers until I only have one layer left, the behavior of that one layer can be very different than the bulk (3D) behavior.” 2D layers may have the potential to improve existing technologies or create entirely new ones, which could turn into a huge economic driver that will open numerous job opportunities within the region.

Preparing these materials for research is time consuming. To begin, a 3D material needs to have a specific crystalline structure, which can then release a single layer of atoms. This preparation process exhausts researchers into multiple days of research and development before producing a successful layer of atoms.

The foundry team is partnering with Montana Instrumentsand HighRI Optics to develop two quantum materials pipelines. The pipelines will be testing and analyzing the condition of the separated layers using multiple artificial intelligence agents. Once the researchers have finalized the pipeline, they will be invited to apply for three years worth of support from the faculty’s fellows program.

The generous $20 million grant, which has recently been increased to $22 million, will mostly be spent on “the unique equipment that allows us to create the 2D films, prove they are truly one atomic layer thick and to characterize the interesting properties of those films,” Idzerda said. “The remainder of the grant will be used to conduct research and to train a quantum-intelligent workforce.” The program has just started its six year time frame and can be renewed for another six years at a similar level if needed. “This investment represents the beginning of something even bigger - stay tuned for that,” Idzerda said.

The official launch of the MonArk Quantum Foundry occurred on Wednesday, Sept. 15.