Magnons—tiny magnetic ripples inside materials—could carry quantum information across a chip without the heat and fragility of electrons. Today’s quantum devices rely on delicate states that are hard to sustain and connect. This project tackles a specific bottleneck: how to create and control *entanglement*—the instantaneous link between particles—using magnons instead of light or electric current. Magnons are the quantised vibrations of magnetic spins in a solid, and they operate at microwave frequencies, making them compatible with existing electronics. If the team succeeds, quantum computers could exchange data over short and long distances using magnetic waves rather than fragile photons. That would simplify the hardware needed for quantum networks, bringing secure communication and distributed quantum processing closer to practical use. The work directly supports the UK and Canadian national quantum strategies, which aim to secure digital infrastructure and stimulate economic growth. This is fundamental science. There is no immediate consumer product. But the same kind of quantum insight that gave us MRI scanners and GPS now points toward magnon-based devices that might quietly underpin future communications, sensing, and computing systems.
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Quantum science has already delivered MRI scanners, GPS positioning, solar cells, and broadly speaking the multi-billion-dollar semiconductor industry across the 20th century. These focused on initial ideas from the quantum physics of electronic properties of matter; however, phenomena under the so-called quantum ‘weirdness’ were unexploited until more recently. These are now expected to deliver unprecedented impact to society with application in quantum cryptography, communication and sensing. The ‘weirdness’ of concern in this proposal is in how properties of one particle can be linked instantaneously with those of another particle regardless of how far separated in distance they may be. This is called entanglement, and the primary objective of this project is to develop practical methodologies for creating and manipulating fundamental excitations of magnetic particles that can be readily incorporated into devices for high frequency microwave operations. More specifically, we will focus on magnon quasiparticles—the quantum of collective oscillations of spins in magnetically ordered materials. The project will focus on exploring the dynamics of many-body magnonic systems, with a particular emphasis on establishing control protocols for coupled magnon dynamics over both short and long distances. By advancing the understanding and control of these hybrid magnonic systems, the research will lay critical groundwork for the next generation of quantum devices and technologies; more specifically, quantum information processing and distribution. This project is scientifically ambitious and aligned strategically with national priorities. It supports both the UK and Canadian national quantum strategies, which recognise the importance of quantum technologies for ensuring security and driving economic growth. By fostering collaborative research in hybrid spin systems, this project will help maintain leadership in quantum innovation and contribute to the development of new quantum technologies with broad and lasting societal impacts.
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