Kyushu University researchers, led by Associate Professor Nobuhiro Yanai, have made a significant leap in quantum mechanics by achieving room temperature quantum coherence. This breakthrough, published in Science Advances, is crucial for the second quantum revolution, leveraging molecular materials for qubits, and can revolutionize computing and sensing. The team used a pentacene-based metal-organic framework (MOF) to overcome cryogenic limitations and demonstrate room-temperature quantum coherence of singlet fission (SF)-derived quintets. This achievement allows for designing molecular motions for coherent multilevel quantum systems, advancing molecular-based quantum information science. The MOF structure with embedded chromophores, molecules absorbing light, enables room temperature quantum coherence by suppressing molecular motion. This approach showed better results than previous attempts using pentacene dimers in low-temperature matrices. The breakthrough opens the door for designing materials that can generate multiple qubits at room temperature, paving the way for advancements in quantum computing and sensing. Yanai and the team are optimistic about future progress, envisioning further advancements through the exploration of guest molecules within MOF structures for more efficient generation of quantum states at room temperature.
