Javascript control for large font size Javascript control for very large font size
The LCN Logo - link to home page
A section image

Gavin W Morley

Gavin Morley's photo
  • Pulsed EPR to measure electron spin relaxation times in search of good quantum bits
  • Integration of EPR with other experiments including FTIR, optical absorption, resistivity, MOKE and STM
  • Pulsed EPR at fields of 4-12 tesla.
 Contact details:
Office: Level 5
Tel: +44 (0)20 7679 9938
Ext: 39938
Fax: +44 (0)20 7679 0595
Email: g.morleyucl.ac.uk

Research Interest
Gavin uses pulsed electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) to investigate schemes for quantum information processing. Materials such as silicon and diamond can contain electron spins that are well suited for storing quantum information. Pulsed EPR makes it possible to initialise, manipulate and read out this information.

Recent Publications

  • G W Morley et al., "Long-Lived Spin Coherence in Silicon with an Electrical Spin Trap Readout", Physical Review Letters 101, 207602 (2008). [Abstract]

    We demonstrated a way to make the electrically-detected quantum lifetime of electrons more than 50 times longer. More information is available from our press release, the article in Scientific American, and this paper in press at Physical Review Letters.
     
  • G W Morley et al., "A multifrequency high-field pulsed EPR/ENDOR spectrometer", Review of Scientific Instruments 79, 064703 (2008). [Abstract]

    Our pulsed EPR spectrometer uses a higher magnetic field and frequency than any currently operational worldwide. Frequencies from 110-336 GHz can be used corresponding to around 4-12 T. We are helping a scientific instruments company (Bruker) to commercialize this technology at 263 GHz.
  • G W Morley et al., "Efficient Dynamic Nuclear Polarization at High Magnetic Fields", Physical Review Letters 98 220501 (2007). [Abstract]

    We demonstrated a new method that enhances nuclear polarization by more than 1000 times. This could be used to initialize nuclear spins for a quantum computation as described here.

Biographical details

  • Post-doctoral research at National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Florida (2005-2007).
  • D.Phil. from University of Oxford in the Clarendon Laboratory (Department of Physics) and the Department of Materials (2005).
  • Masters in low-temperature physics at Royal Holloway College, University of London.
  • Physics degree from University of Oxford (1999).

Research

Silicon already dominates the computing industry, and may be perfect for quantum computing also. The main challenge with silicon is to readout a qubit, and the leading candidate is electrical detection: as the schematic figure shows, we measure the current flowing past qubits to find out their state. The microwaves allow us to change the state of the electronic qubits. Using a high magnetic field and a low temperature provides longer quantum lifetimes, better sensitivity to small numbers of qubits, and a suitable starting state for a quantum computation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

High magnetic fields above 8 T provide 95% electron spin polarization at a temperature 2.8 K. This is an excellent starting state for a quantum computation. Pulsed EPR can now control these electron spin qubits at fields as high as 12 T. The graph shown below reveals the decay of quantum information stored in the electron spin of TEMPOL molecules.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trapping a nitrogen atom inside a football-shaped carbon cage called a buckyball creates a molecule called N@C60, shown below. The electronic and nuclear spins in this molecule can be used to store and process quantum information. A normal PC stores information as bits (ones and zeros), but quantum information offers new possibilities for computing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Positions

PhD studentships are available for students looking to apply magnetic resonance to quantum information science.