Researchers from the University of Sheffield are involved in a global partnership that could result in the development of a new class of quantum sensors. Their findings were published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
Study: Optically Addressable Spins in a Metal–Organic Framework. Image Credit: Corona Borealis Studio/Shutterstock.com
The group, consisting of researchers from the universities of Tokyo, Glasgow, Sheffield, and Kobe, has, for the first time, used light to observe the magnetic spin of electrons confined within a porous crystalline material known as a metal-organic framework (MOF).
The efforts of the team expand upon earlier research regarding a technique for identifying electron spins through the use of light, known as optically detected magnetic resonance, or ODMR. This method has garnered interest as an effective approach to extracting information from spin qubits in quantum sensing.
The advancement represents a significant step forward in the use of MOFs, which are considered excellent materials for quantum sensing applications. These materials are anticipated to enable the detection of chemical substances with remarkable sensitivity in sensing instruments.
Professor Jenny Clark and PhD student Mr. Thomas Bradbury from the School of Mathematical and Physical Science were responsible for spearheading the University of Sheffield’s involvement in the research. Additionally, researchers from the University of Tokyo, University of Glasgow, Saitama University, JEOL Ltd., the Institute for Molecular Science, and Kobe University contributed their efforts towards the advancement of the new findings.
Bridging quantum physics and synthetic chemistry this way gives us an entirely new level of control over electron spins. Using light to read out spin behaviour inside MOF pores opens up incredible opportunities for quantum sensing, and it’s going to be fascinating to see where this capability takes us next.
Jenny Clark, Professor, University of Sheffield
Electronic spins that can be observed with light exhibit greater sensitivity and improved spatial resolution than electron spin resonance (ESR), which relies on microwave detection. This characteristic renders them highly appropriate for quantum sensing, and they have become a focal point of extensive research in recent times.
Diamond nitrogen-vacancy centers represent a thoroughly researched instance of electron spins that can be detected optically. Nevertheless, since they rely on spins found in defects within the crystal structure, there are constraints regarding their controllability and their interactions with external materials.
Spins that come from molecules, on the other hand, can be manipulated chemically; their configurations can be crafted and the characteristics of their spins modified. Additionally, metal-organic frameworks take this a step further, controlling the placement and alignment of electron spins entirely within a porous material.
Due to their porous nature, specific chemical compounds can be trapped within the pores and identified by facilitating near-field interactions with the spins. With these benefits in mind, MOFs are seen as hopeful candidates for quantum sensing; nonetheless, the optical identification of spins within MOFs had not been shown prior to this research.
Since MOFs are materials that can be tailored in numerous ways by modifying ligands and crystal structures, the group suggests that their demonstration may be applicable to many similar materials. A collection of these MOFs, each reacting uniquely to specific chemicals, could serve as a “quantum nose,” detecting compounds according to their response behaviors.
Journal Reference
Inoue, M., et al. (2026). Optically Addressable Spins in a Metal–Organic Framework. Journal of the American Chemical Society. DOI:10.1021/jacs.6c12867. https://pubs.acs.org/jacsat/article/doi/10.1021/jacs.6c12867/5447489/Optically-Addressable-Spins-in-a-Metal-Organic.