EPSRC logo

Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: EP/L018470/1
Title: A modular approach to multi-component molecular assemblies
Principal Investigator: Winpenny, Professor RE
Other Investigators:
Collison, Dr D McInnes, Professor EJL
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department: Chemistry
Organisation: University of Manchester, The
Scheme: Standard Research
Starts: 01 February 2014 Ends: 31 January 2017 Value (£): 595,238
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Chemical Structure Chemical Synthetic Methodology
Co-ordination Chemistry Quantum Optics & Information
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Panel DatePanel NameOutcome
17 Oct 2013 EPSRC Physical Sciences Chemistry - October 2013 Announced
Summary on Grant Application Form
The idea that technologically advanced devices could be made by chemistry is appealing because chemistry is generally less demanding in use of energy than more conventional nanofabrication approaches. This work falls into this general area. The aim of the work is to design the molecular components that could be assembled, in the long term, into useful devices. The major difficulties are to understand the influence of one component on another in detail, and to this end we will make and study assemblies starting with assemblies where there are two components - a qubit (the quantum equivalent of the bit used in conventional computing) and a switchable molecule; our aim is to understand what happens to the qubit when the switch is on and off, and hence we can chose which switches are suitable for use with qubits. From the assemblies with two components we will move to more complicated assemblies, containing two distinct qubits and two distinct switches.

The materials will be studied using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, which is extremely sensitive to the behaviour of single electron spins. Single electron spins can, at the simplest level, be regarded as magnets and the EPR experiment involves using microwaves to flip the electron from having its local magnetic moment aligned with an external field to aligned opposed to the external field. We can use the results to find out if single electrons are communicating with other electrons, and with sophisticated experiments can make specific electrons adopt specific orientations.

Key Findings
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Potential use in non-academic contexts
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Impacts
Description This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Summary
Date Materialised
Sectors submitted by the Researcher
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Project URL:  
Further Information:  
Organisation Website: http://www.man.ac.uk