Jawaher Almutlaq’s latest publication reveals advancements in quantum information processing

Optically Detected Magnetic Resonance (ODMR) setup for quantum sensing comprising a laser beam directed through an objective lens, a microwave ring antenna, and a permanent magnet. Quantum sensing has the potential to revolutionize precision measurements and enable breakthroughs in fields such as medical imaging, environmental monitoring, and fundamental physics research. [Figure was designed by Sampson Wilcox, full-time graphic designer at the Research Laboratory of Electronics (RLE)]

Dr. Jawaher Almutlaq and collaborators’ recent publication in Nature Nanotechnology highlights advancements in quantum information processing. Working Prof. Dirk Englund's lab group at MIT, Almutlaq’s research has practical applications in fields ranging from battery research to neuroscience. Their proof-of-principle experiments have demonstrated quantum advantage areas in such as microscopic imaging of electromagnetic fields, strain, and temperature. However, critical gaps remain in wider applications, including the need for improved functionalization, deterministic placement, size homogeneity, and greater programmability of multifunctional properties. As evidenced by their work, colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals have the potential to address these challenges in various application areas. The publication specifically focuses on three key topics: optical interfaces to long-lived spin states, deterministic placement and delivery for sensing beyond the standard quantum limit, and extensions to multifunctional colloidal quantum circuits.

Dr. Jawaher Almutlaq, presently an Ibn Rushd fellow at MIT, conducted her IBK postdoctoral research under the supervision of Prof. Dirk Englund, focusing on quantum photonics. You can read Almutlaq’s paper, “Engineering colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals for quantum information processing,” published in Nature Nanotechnology magazine in March 2024 here