Project description
Thermodynamics research into engineered quantum systems heats up
Quantum systems that host correlated electronic states are of outstanding fundamental and technological interest. They often give rise to exotic quasi-particles such as Majorana fermions, whose inherent topological robustness holds great potential for use as qubits in quantum computing. To understand the exotic electronic states found in quantum materials, the EU-funded Quantropy project will devise new ways to measure their thermodynamic properties, in particular entropy. Probing electronic states in low-dimensional systems is notoriously difficult, in part because of the small number of electrons involved. Fully exploiting entropy measurements in mesoscopic physics will further mechanistic understanding of correlated quantum states in engineered structures.
Objective
Quantum systems that have been engineered to host correlated electronic states are of outstanding fundamental and technological interest. Often ‘exotic’ new quasi-particles emerge, such as Majorana fermions, whose inherent topological robustness forms the basis of a promising approach to quantum computation. Another recent example are sheets of pencil-lead graphene which superconduct with a proper twist between layers.
Thermodynamic probes have been central for characterising new phases of matter in bulk materials. Low-dimensional systems offer greater opportunities for control, but probing their electronic states in a similar way is notoriously difficult, in part because of the small number of electrons involved.
The objective of this project is to overcome this challenge and to develop a unique conceptual and experimental foundation for exploring correlated quantum states in low-dimensional systems by measuring thermodynamic quantities, in particular entropy. Entropy is one of the most fundamental of physical properties, and in recent years has been recognized as a key to understanding systems as diverse as qubits and black holes. Fully exploiting entropy measurements in mesoscopic physics will open up a new window to a mechanistic understanding of correlated quantum states in engineered structures, with promise for ground-breaking novel device paradigms.
Members of the consortium have pioneered some of the few existing approaches to making thermodynamic measurements of low-dimensional systems. In combining our expertise, we will develop, test and explore a versatile suite of thermodynamic probes, and in particular i) demonstrate fractional entropy as an unequivocal observable for exotic states, including Majorana fermions; ii) develop thermodynamic measurement paradigms to probe correlated states in novel materials, in particular twisted bilayer graphene; and iii) achieve the first-time measurement of macroscopic entanglement entropy in solid-state systems.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologynanotechnologynano-materialstwo-dimensional nanostructuresgraphene
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesquantum physics
- natural sciencesphysical sciencestheoretical physicsparticle physicsfermions
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesthermodynamics
- natural sciencesphysical sciencescondensed matter physicsmesoscopic physics
Programme(s)
Topic(s)
Funding Scheme
ERC-SyG - Synergy grantHost institution
8092 Zuerich
Switzerland