Transient Kerr Microscopy System for Studying Spin Transport in Semiconducting Hybrid Perovskite Quantum Materials

Semiconductors fueled the first quantum revolution, representing the advent of technologies based on controlling the flow of electrons and their intrinsic charge (integrated circuits, lasers, optical displays). But electrons also possess a magnetic moment, called spin, that offers an additional means to store and manipulate information. The exploitation of the spin property of the electron is poised to lead a host of new technologies (termed Quantum 2.0), including ultra-low power computer chips, novel high-bandwidth telecommunication technologies, and even quantum computers with applications in the areas of communications, security and medicine among others. While dramatic progress has been made over the past decade in the creation of proof-of-principle schemes for controlling spin, these have largely been based on the same semiconductors used for the first quantum revolution (e.g. GaAs and Si). While such materials were a natural choice due to the availability of established tools for materials growth and device fabrication, a key mechanism used to control the electron spin (the spin-orbit interaction) is weak in these materials, limiting their potential for practical technologies. ******Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite semiconductors are expected to possess extremely strong spin-orbit coupling and offer an unprecedented ability to tune the spin properties through materials engineering, making them a potential enabling material for Quantum 2.0. These funds will support the construction of a time-resolved Kerr Rotation Microscopy system that will enable a comprehensive materials engineering research program to advance hybrid perovskite semiconductors for quantum technology development. This new equipment will enable the first measurements of spin transport in perovskite materials and devices, allowing the users of this equipment to: (i) develop an understanding of the underlying spin-orbit properties; (ii) to engineer these properties through materials composition; and (iii) to demonstrate proof-of-principle quantum devices, thereby unlocking the potential of hybrid perovskites for quantum technology development. The materials science research program enabled by this infrastructure will represent an excellent training environment for the next generation of scientists and researchers, and will foster innovation in photonic and quantum technologies for the benefit of the Canadian economy.**