Cassidy Jackson

Sustainability Leadership Fellow Cohort: 2020-2021

Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Chemistry

Research Summary: My research focuses on using molecular-level building blocks to design quantum computers. I study molecules featuring an unpaired electron, which can be used as the quantum bit (qubit). Bits in a classical computer can exist as “0” or “1”, but qubits can exist as “0” and “1” and both simultaneously. This state is called a superposition and is the powerhouse of quantum computation. However, the superposition state is difficult to control, and collapses quickly. Upon collapse, all information is lost before useful calculations can be performed. I investigate what environmental aspects of molecular magnetic complexes engender long superposition lifetimes.