"Optical-Spin Interfaces in Molecular Qubits for

Quantum Information Applications"

We will describe recent work from our laboratory that focuses on using photo-driven processes to generate optical-spin interfaces in molecular materials targeting quantum information applications. We will show how ultrafast photogeneration of electron-hole pairs within covalent electron donor-acceptor systems results in two entangled spins having sufficiently long coherence times to perform a variety of operations relevant to quantum information. We will also describe how molecular chirality can be used to control the spin dynamics of photogenerated electron-hole pairs in donor-acceptor molecules. Finally, we will show how optical spin polarization, microwave manipulation, and optical read-out of molecular diradicals with triplet ground states can serve as versatile surrogates for nitrogen vacancy defect centers in diamond.