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US Army explores quantum switches inspired by nature's most efficient energy systems
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- Army-funded researchers explore quantum vibrations as future control mechanisms.
- Vibronic effects may influence future quantum communication technologies.
- Energy losses in materials drive interest in quantum control.
The US Army has invested in quantum research exploring how vibrations influence electronic behavior in ultrathin materials.
Scientists at the University of California, Riverside, are examining whether these vibronic effects could eventually transform both energy harvesting and computational systems.
The Center for Quantum Vibronics in Energy and Time (QuVET) brings together physicists, chemists, engineers, and biochemists to study these fundamental interactions across biological and synthetic systems.
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Vibrations become a control mechanism for quantum behaviour
Unlike conventional computing that relies on binary states, quantum approaches exploit phenomena such as superposition, where a wave function exists in multiple places simultaneously.
QuVET researchers want to determine whether a quantum wave function jumps across an interface or stays where it originally resides.
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"The idea is that vibrations may become the control knob, enabling future 'quantum vibronic switches' that use crystal vibrations to turn quantum transitions on and off," said Nathaniel Gabor, a professor of physics and astronomy.
Understanding this switching process is essential for improving technologies like solar power generation, where light creates neutral excitations that must separate into free charges.
Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletterContact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.If that energy does not get extracted fast enough, it dissipates as heat or gets re-emitted as light instead of becoming usable electricity.
Gabor noted that biological systems have evolved methods to pull energy out extremely quickly, and his team aims to replicate that efficiency in artificial materials.
In photosynthesis, a charge-neutral quantum excitation moves from molecule to molecule until reaching a reaction center, where separation occurs.
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The same physics that enables plants to harvest sunlight could eventually enable new forms of quantum control and computation in synthetic layered devices.
Army sees strategic value in quantum control research
The US Army has funded this quantum research through a Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative grant administered by its Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Office.
Tania Paskova, a program manager at that office, stated that understanding vibronic effects could prove instrumental for future artificial biological systems designed by military scientists.
“This research is answering critical scientific questions that could become instrumental in understanding and controlling vibronic effects in artificial biological systems,” she said.
“By establishing roadmaps for using vibronic effects for novel quantum photonic and optoelectronic devices, this research has the potential to significantly advance future Army capabilities in quantum computing, secure communications, and sensing technologies.”
The Army acknowledges, however, that substantial hurdles remain before any practical military application emerges from these laboratory findings.
Most quantum experiments demand cryogenic temperatures and highly controlled conditions that do not translate easily to battlefield environments.
By funding basic research rather than demanding immediate prototypes, the Army is making a long-term strategic bet on physics that could take decades to mature.
Whether this investment yields genuine quantum computing advances or merely interesting scientific footnotes depends entirely on experimental results that do not yet exist.
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Efosa UdinmwenFreelance JournalistEfosa has been writing about technology for over 7 years, initially driven by curiosity but now fueled by a strong passion for the field. He holds both a Master's and a PhD in sciences, which provided him with a solid foundation in analytical thinking.
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