Harnessing optical interfaces to molecular spins

Harnessing optical interfaces to molecular spins
Optically active molecular spins offer potential for a range of applications, from quantum information processing, where they can serve as quantum bits, to energy harvesting, where they can facilitate efficient solar-energy capture. In this talk, I will outline examples of molecular spin platforms which offer promise for such applications. As a first platform, I will describe ground-state molecular spins which can be prepared and detected with light, and controlled with microwaves, and how these systems are attractive as chemically synthesized spin qubits and quantum sensors. Secondly, I will describe the excited-state spin-1 pairs which can be optically generated by a process called singlet fission, and how these systems offer pathways to more effective solar-energy harvesting.