Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

The rapid growth of quantum technologies is poised to fundamentally alter the way we process information, communicate, and image materials at the atomic scale. During the past decade, Budakian has developed a new platform for high-resolution nanoscale magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that incorporates ultra-sensitive spin detection with high-fidelity spin control. Achieving atomic resolution is the ultimate limit of MRI, and attaining this capability offers huge technological and scientific opportunities, from drug development to understanding the complex dynamics in interacting quantum systems. In 2020, Budakian received a patent nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) diffraction (NMRd)-a new technique for imaging the three-dimensional structure of crystalline materials with sub-nm resolution and elemental selectivity. The long-term goal of the Budakian group is to apply NMRd to elucidate the structure of protein molecules, and as a tool to study the dynamics of interacting quantum systems on the atomic scale. Budakian requests funding for the purchase of a low noise 6-channel arbitrary waveform generator, which will be used to generate the complex voltage waveforms needed to implement NMRd. This instrument will provide important capabilities to advance the research of Budakian's team in two important areas. The ability to image proteins with atomic resolution and chemical selectivity provides a powerful new approach to understanding protein interactions, and could potentially lead to transformative new drug therapies. While this capability lies beyond the reach of existing imaging techniques, cutting-edge techniques, such as NMRd, could provide new insight into protein structure. With the purchase of the requested instrument, Budakian will establish a research program to develop NMRd to image the structure protein nanocrystals with sub-nm resolution and elemental contrast. In the areas of quantum communication and computing, there is great interest to understand the speed with which quantum information propagates in quantum networks. To address this problem, NMRd will be applied to study the interactions in that govern the propagation of quantum information over a wide range lengthscales, extending down to the atomic scale. The instrument will enable to the team to contribute new expertise to designing efficient quantum networks that are used in quantum communication and computing. For Budakian's team to remain competitive in research into drug delivery and quantum information the NMRd is a must have. It is the only means to gain feedback between the theoretical design of quantum control sequences and their implementation on physical systems. HQP's experience with the instrument and the cutting-edge research it will enable in quantum mechanics, condensed matter physics and NMR spectroscopy will position them competitively in future careers in academia and quantum industries.