International exchange award: Chemical control strategies for future quantum sensors

Prof Yanai and Sebastian Gorgon at dinner during the exchange

Sebastian Gorgon a research fellow at the University of Cambridge was awarded an M4QN international exchange award to visit Prof. Nobuhiro Yanai at the University of Tokyo. The visit took place from 4th-8th March 2025.

Chemical control strategies for future quantum sensors

Sebastian engaged in knowledge exchange with Prof. Yanai and his group members, as well as presenting a departmental seminar on his work.

Sebastian writes “We are engaged in research on molecular materials with spin properties favourable for quantum sensing and computation applications. The complementary areas of our work enabled us to design the next generation of systems. I also visited the Group’s synthesis, processing and characterisation facilities. Learning the practical details and strengths of the rich set of techniques they employ has made me realise the critical importance of local environment control in my systems, which I will be now exploring.”

Benefits to the UK materials and quantum community

The newly developed research aligns closely with the UK’s National Quantum Strategy, which prioritises breakthroughs in quantum sensing and advanced functional materials. Prof. Yanai’s work is at the forefront of these fields, and this collaboration will bring valuable know-how to further UK efforts to develop next generation quantum technologies.

Visit Outcomes

The visit launched a new synthesis-characterisation collaboration, and the team are currently working on a joint funding application.