Collaborative Research: DMREF: NSF-NSERC: Targeted Design of Quantum Diodic Magnets (QuDiM) for Low-Power Applications

About This Grant

Non-technical description Next-generation low-power electronics, wireless technologies, and the Internet of Things (IoT) require diode devices that can operate efficiently at high frequencies, with low power input and minimal energy loss—capabilities that remain challenging for conventional diode systems. This project focuses on a new class of materials called quantum diodic magnets (QuDiM), which host “quantum dipoles”—dipolar distributions of quantum wavefunction properties that enable current rectification, where electric current flows more easily in one direction than the other, a defining characteristic of diode function. Unlike traditional diode materials, QuDiM systems can operate at very high frequencies and low power with minimal energy loss. Importantly, their performance is resilient to impurities and thermal fluctuations. This intrinsic robustness reduces the need for ultra-clean materials, simplifies device design, and makes these systems potentially suitable for diverse environments. To accelerate progress in this emerging field, the research will build an integrated discovery pipeline linking theory, computation, synthesis, and experimental characterization. In parallel, this project will promote interdisciplinary education and open science by developing teaching modules that introduce students to computational, data-driven, and AI-based approaches in quantum materials research. Technical description This project aims to design, synthesize, characterize, and benchmark quantum diodic magnets (QuDiM)—a class of quantum magnetic materials that exhibit intrinsic nonreciprocal transport, enabling direction-dependent conductivity for electrical and microwave rectification. This emerging diode technology is rooted in geometric quantum properties, such as Berry curvature and quantum metric dipoles. Unlike conventional diodes, QuDiM materials can achieve efficient high-frequency rectification in the ultralow-power regime—a performance space previously inaccessible with traditional mechanisms. Crucially, their nonreciprocal response is dissipationless, remaining robust against impurity scattering and electron-phonon interactions. This intrinsic resilience enables functionality at elevated temperatures, including above room temperature, while reducing the need for high-purity materials and simplifying device and circuit design. The development of such quantum dipole-enabled materials remains in its early stages. To accelerate progress, the project brings together an interdisciplinary and international team with expertise in quantum theory, high-throughput computation, machine learning, multi-route chemical synthesis, and advanced experimental characterization. A co-design framework integrates theoretical modeling, computational screening, and experimental realization through iterative feedback between design and measurement. Automation and AI-driven strategies will further accelerate the discovery and optimization of QuDiM systems, with the overarching goal of establishing a robust materials platform for next-generation low-power electronic and wireless technologies. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.