Metal–metal bonded molecule opens new path toward quantum computing materials
Three-cobalt molecular system shows long-lived spin quantum behavior, offering a new design strategy for molecular qubitsResearchers at Kumamoto University, in collaboration with colleagues in South Korea and Taiwan, have discovered that a unique cobalt-based molecule with metal–metal bonds can function as a spin quantum bit (spin qubit)—a fundamental unit for future quantum computers. The findings provide a new design strategy for molecular materials used in quantum information technologies.
Quantum computers process information using quantum bits, or qubits, which can exist in multiple states at the same time. Among various approaches, spin qubits, which use the spin of an electron, are especially attractive because they can be precisely controlled using magnetic resonance techniques. However, creating stable and long-lived spin qubits at the molecular level has remained a major challenge.
The research team focused on a rigid molecule composed of three cobalt ions aligned in a straight line and directly connected by metal–metal bonds. This compound, known as Co₃(dpa)₄Cl₂, is also a “spin-crossover” material, meaning its spin state can change in response to external conditions such as temperature. Until now, whether such a molecule could serve as a spin qubit had not been experimentally confirmed.
Using advanced magnetic measurements and pulsed electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, the researchers closely examined how long the electron spins in the molecule can maintain their quantum state. They found that the molecule exhibits slow magnetic relaxation, with spin lifetimes long enough to meet key requirements for quantum information processing. Importantly, the electron spin is not confined to a single metal atom but is delocalized across all three cobalt ions, which helps stabilize the quantum state.
The team also observed clear Rabi oscillations, a hallmark of controlled quantum behavior, demonstrating that the spin states can be coherently manipulated. These results show, for the first time, that a molecule with metal–metal bonds can act as a functional spin qubit.
“This work opens a new pathway for designing molecular qubits,” said Professor Shinya Hayami from Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Kumamoto University, who led the study. “By using rigid, multinuclear metal complexes, we can suppress unwanted vibrations and achieve longer spin lifetimes.”
The study was published in the international journal Chemical Communications by the Royal Society of Chemistry and was featured on the journal’s Outside Front Cover. The researchers expect their findings to accelerate the development of molecular-based quantum materials, with potential applications in quantum computing, quantum memory, and spin-based electronics.
Image Title: Molecular spin qubit based on metal complex with metal-metal bonds
Image Caption: Core structure of [Co₃(dpa)₄Cl₂] with the schematic illustration of spin qubit
Reference
Image Caption: Core structure of [Co₃(dpa)₄Cl₂] with the schematic illustration of spin qubit
Reference
| Authors |
Yoshihiro Sekine†, Jeongcheol Shin†, Sun Hee Kim*, Hikaru Zenno, Hisui Kobayashi, Ming-Chuan Cheng, Kil Sik Min, Shie-Ming Peng, Shinya Hayami* (†: equal contribution, *: equal correspondence) |
| Title of original paper |
Slow magnetic relaxation in a trinuclear spin-crossover Co(II) compound with metal–metal bonding |
| Journal | Chemical Communications |
| DOI | 10.1039/D5CC03879K |