Two-dimensional material could store quantum information at room temperature

Artistic rendition of isolated spins on hexagonal boron nitride under an optical microscope Credit: Qiushi Gu Researchers have identified a two-dimensional material that could be used to store quantum information at room temperature. There are defects in this material that can emit single photons, which means it could be used in quantum systems Hannah Stern Quantum memory is a major building block to be addressed in the building of a quantum internet, where quantum information is securely stored and sent via photons, or particles of light. Researchers from the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge, in collaboration with colleagues from UT Sydney in Australia, have identified a two-dimensional material, hexagonal boron nitride, that can emit single photons from atomic-scale defects in its structure at room temperature. The researchers discovered that the light emitted from these isolated defects gives information about a quantum property that can be used to store quantum information, called spin, meaning the material could be useful for quantum applications. Importantly, the quantum spin can be accessed via light and at room temperature. The finding could eventually support scalable quantum networks built from two-dimensional materials that can operate at room temperature. The results are reported .