Spin-Based Quantum Computers made by Chemistry: Hows and Whys

TL;DR

This review explores the use of chemistry to develop spin-based qubits for quantum computing, addressing decoherence challenges and strategies for creating effective spin qubits with magnetic molecules and ions.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of chemical approaches to spin qubits, highlighting methods to suppress decoherence and strategies for designing chemistry-based quantum bits.

Findings

Decoherence is the main obstacle in spin-based quantum computing.

Strategies to suppress environmental interactions are crucial for qubit stability.

Chemical methods enable the design of tailored spin qubits using magnetic molecules and ions.

Abstract

This introductory review discusses the main problems facing the attempt to build quantum information processing systems (like quantum computers) from spin-based qubits. We emphasize 'bottom-up' attempts using methods from chemistry. The essentials of quantum computing are explained, along with a description of the qubits and their interactions in terms of physical spin qubits. The main problem to be overcome is decoherence - how this works is described, along with ways to suppress contributions from spin bath and oscillator bath environments, and from dipolar interactions. Finally we discuss various strategies for making chemistry-based spin qubits, using both magnetic molecules and magnetic ions.