Friday, January 12, 2024

Waterloo, IQC logos shine bright on a diamond

This article was originally published on the Institute for Quantum Computing's website.

Diamonds are one of the most sought-after and versatile gemstones in the world, with purposes beyond jewelry and drill tips. In quantum research, diamonds are frequently studied because of the presence of special defects called colour centers, which can act as a quantum bit, or qubit, to store information in quantum systems.

Dr. Mohammad Soltani, a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) is studying ways to implement patterns in diamonds for quantum applications. Recently, his experiments led to a miniscule but recognizable pattern: IQC’s logo, etched into a 2.5 mm square diamond. The smallest logo produced measured just 20 micrometers — about one fourth the width of a single human hair.

“We’re trying to find optimal conditions and design pattern for the diamond and decrease the amount of photons which get reflected internally instead of exiting the diamond to be measured,” says Soltani. “But I also wanted to do something fun with the fabrication techniques we use.”

IQC’s logo is a unique pattern which helps improve the fabrication processes for Soltani’s diamond samples. By improving these methods, he aims to create a variety of nanostructures on diamond, which could be used to control interactions between photons of light and the diamond’s colour center defects.

Unlike the diamond imperfections to watch out for when jewelry shopping, the defects attractive to the quantum research community give rise to coloured diamonds and are created by replacing just one or two carbon atoms in the diamond structure with other atoms. An important example of these are nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers, in which a carbon atom is replaced by a nitrogen atom, while a neighboring carbon atom’s space is left vacant in the diamond’s crystal structure. NV centers can interact with optical and microwave fields and can be used at room temperature or cooled to cryogenic temperatures, making them an excellent platform for applications in quantum sensing with optical detection, optical quantum memories, and quantum light sources.

Soltani’s diamond logo was fabricated in the Quantum-Nano Fabrication and Characterization Facility (QNFCF) using techniques called electron beam lithography and reactive ion etching, and can be seen with electron microscopes. Since IQC’s researchers typically use silicon wafers in the QNFCF, Soltani needed to create a unique pocket for his small diamond samples. These pockets were etched into a larger silicon wafer that he designed and fabricated specifically for the processing of the tiny diamond samples. He then coated the sample with a material susceptible to electron beam lithography techniques, which were used to pattern the logo at the small scale, similar to a stencil. Once the logo stencil was created, it was filled in with a thin layer of metal to protect the diamond under the logo. The stencil material was then removed, leaving the IQC logo patterned into the metal layer behind. Reactive ion etching was then performed, which removed layers of diamond not protected by the metal mask. When the metal mask was removed, IQC’s logo was left patterned onto the diamond.

In addition to improving the collection of photons emitted by the NV centres, Soltani also plans to use NV centers to convert microwave photons produced by superconducting qubits to optical photons that can be sent over long distances.

Great scientific work is often collaborative, and the diamond IQC logo is no exception. Soltani is supervised by Dr. Michal Bajcsy and Dr. Chris Wilson, IQC faculty members and professors in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Supratik Sarkar, Vinodh Muthu, Dr. Behrooz Semnani and Abdolreza Pasharavesh also contributed to this work. This research was supported in part by the Canada First Research Excellence Fund through the TQT program at IQC.

Introducing UWaterloo's 2023 Alumni Award recipients

A message from the Office of Advancement.

Waterloo alumni are making significant contributions to their industries, local communities and the world at large. The Alumni Awards recognize exceptional individuals and their efforts to build a better world.

Working tirelessly to advance important causes, this year’s award recipients are researchers, volunteers and business leaders — each one making their own unique impact.

See all the 2023 recipients.

Empowering evening: interactive screening of 'Carrie' highlights menstrual equity project

A message from the Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism (EDI-RO).

The University of Waterloo's Menstrual Equity Project has organized an engaging and thought-provoking event: an interactive screening of the original 'Carrie' movie at Princess Twin on January 18 at 6:00 p.m. This unique event will be hosted by Changing the Flow and promises to be an empowering evening of challenging societal taboos and shouting back at stigma with props.

Highlighting the intersection of menstruation and horror in the context of the film "Carrie," the event explores hyperbolic storytelling to address the portrayal of menstruation in media. The film uses other powerful narrative devices to shed light on period shame and stigma.

The Menstrual Equity pilot project at UWaterloo is a collaborative effort between the Equity Diversity and Anti-Racism Office Plant Operations that uses a multifaceted approach to enhance the accessibility of resources and support to all people who menstruate. This initiative has been made possible through sustained advocacy and work by the Women’s Centre, reflecting a commitment to providing resources and support for managing periods with dignity and without stigma.

Join us for an unforgettable evening that not only challenges societal norms but also contributes to fostering a campus environment that embraces menstrual equity. Buy your tickets online, or at the door, for $11 and be a part of this impactful event.

Learn about Menstrual Equity at UWaterloo.

Friday's notes

Counselling Services will be hosting Recognizing and Responding to a Person in Distress on Tuesday, January 30. "This is a 2.5-hour standalone offering from the Mental Health Literacy program," says a note from Campus Wellness. The event takes place from 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Microsoft Teams. Register on Portal.

There's still time to sign up for the TRIM study offered by the The Metabolism, Exercise Training and Sex Differences (METS) lab in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences. The METS Lab is seeking sedentary, overweight males and females aged 18-45 years for a research study investigating whether the addition of two nutritional supplements to an exercise regime can improve the effects of exercise training on ‘high-quality weight loss’. If you are interested in participating in this study or have any questions, please contact Thabie Lechesa, Department of Kinesiology at 519-498-2151 or tlechesa@uwaterloo.ca.

The Waterloo Warriors Volleyball teams will be stepping onto Carl Totzke Court against the York Lions on Friday, January 12 and Saturday, January 13. Tonight, the women's game will be played at 6:00 p.m. and the men's game at 8:00 p.m. On Saturday, the women's game will be played at 4:00 p.m., while the men's game will be played at 6:00 p.m. Both games will take place in the Physical Activities Complex, and the Saturday games are highlighting Think Pink in support of the Canadian Cancer Society. Buy your tickets today!