Princeton University

This grant proposes to develop a novel microscope to probe and manipulate quantum dynamics in real time on the nanometer scale and use it to identify the physical processes that limit the implementation of materials in quantum computing applications. Scanning tunneling microscopes (STMs) have evolved into powerful tools that can image and manipulate single atoms and are now routinely used to unveil phenomena at the nanoscale. These instruments operate by mapping on the microscopic scale interaction between a sharp probe and the sample. However, the most advanced nanoscale microscopes developed to date cannot probe quantum dynamics in real time, as they operate at low frequencies and are insensitive to phenomena that occur on faster timescales. Development of a high-frequency STM will enable a new generation of experimentation in which quantum dynamics can be measured and manipulated on an unprecedented scale. This instrument will allow researchers to characterize directly processes that limit the use of materials for quantum computing applications and to correlate these limitations with the nanoscale properties of the materials. Beyond quantum computing, the proposed microscope breaks new ground in the measurement of properties of matter and should create opportunities for discovery across a wide range of areas.