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Newly Funded Research Could Revolutionize Quantum Technologies

January 22, 2025 — 

A new research project is set to explore what is sometimes called ‘quantum weirdness’ in certain types of magnetic materials. Researchers are examining how excitations that can be produced in some magnetic materials through interactions with light might be used in quantum technologies. This project will test the team’s ideas and could lead to breakthroughs in technology that might transform communication and computing in the future.

Led by UM’s Dr. Robert Stamps, Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and his team, and in the U.K. by Dr. Rair Macedo and his team at the University of Glasgow, the project builds on several years of research into excitations that are called magnon-polaritons. Some of these excitations have peculiar properties such as negative refraction that enable things such as optical cloaking, for example.

“We are excited to begin this research to better understand and control magnetic excitations in materials that can be used as practical quantum devices,” said Stamps.

 

The research team’s work will provide foundational knowledge for advancement of efficient, hybrid magnetic-based quantum devices that have the potential to be applied across several branches of quantum technologies; from secure communications to precision sensing and advanced computing. Such breakthroughs could pave the way for long-distance transmission of quantum information, an essential capability for the future of secure quantum communication networks.

“This project will not only contribute to cutting-edge scientific research but will also have a lasting impact on the development of practical quantum technologies that will impact the future of communication, security, and computation,” said U.K. lead Dr. Rair Macedo.

The funding for this project is from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) – through the U.K.-Canada quantum for science research collaborations. This highlights the increasing recognition of the potential of quantum science and the critical role that magnetic materials may play in its future.

Research at the University of Manitoba is partially supported by funding from the Government of Canada Research Support Fund.

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