MPS/CHE-EPSRC: Measuring and Understanding Quantum Entanglement in Photochemical Reactions

With support from the Division of Chemistry, Professor Gregory Scholes at Princeton University, along with collaborators from University of Cambridge and University of College London in the United Kingdom, are seeking to understand how quantum entanglement affects a chemical reaction. Entanglement is a quantum mechanical phenomenon in which the behavior of two particles can be correlated, even when they are separated by great distances. While entanglement between fundamental particles such as electrons and photons has been demonstrated, the role that entanglement plays in a chemical reaction remains an open question. Professor Scholes and his UK collaborators will combine synthesis, spectroscopy and theory to explore the role of entanglement in charge transfer reactions. Their discoveries could provide new ways of quantifying quantum information-based concepts and challenge how we think about chemical reactions at a fundamental level. This award is made under the NSF-UKRI lead agency opportunity. The project will attempt to answer the question: Are the products of a light-induced charge transfer reaction entangled? The team will synthesize conjugated dimer structures based on substituted tri-phenyl methyl radicals. Entanglement between the radical sites will be experimentally characterized using a combination of steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopies on time scales ranging from femtoseconds to milliseconds, as well as pulsed electron spin resonance (ESR) and optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR). The team will also advance the concept of an entanglement witness, a quantum-information theoretical measure that would enable one to quantify the degree of entanglement and more general quantum correlations. The project will also provide research opportunities for students in a multi-disciplinary, multi-national collaborative environment, and thus contribute to the development of a quantum-enabled STEM workforce. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.