Naturally occurring clay material has sought-after properties for use in quantum technology

In the future, quantum technology will become the standard for extremely fast computers. These kinds of machines will be important in everything from space technology to mineral exploration and the development of new medicines.

“Quantum technology is often associated with synthetic materials that have been developed in advanced, completely clean environments,” says Professor Jon Otto Fossum from NTNU’s Department of Physics.

But Fossum and colleagues have good news.

“We have found a naturally occurring clay material with sought-after properties for use in quantum technology,” says Fossum.

The material is thus both cheap and easily available, straight from nature.

“What we found is essentially a quantum‑active component formed by nature. It is stable, non‑toxic, abundant, and appears in a structure that is already usable—especially exciting in the context of sustainable materials,” says Barbara Pacáková, a researcher at NTNU’s Department of Physics at NTNU.

She is the first author of a paper published in npj 2D Materials and Applications.

Three things at once

So why is this so promising? Well, the clay material is practically two-dimensional, and in this case, is a semiconductor and is antiferromagnetic. And what does that mean?

1. Two-dimensional fabrics are fundamentally important when everything is at an extremely small scale. Quantum technology is technology at the atomic level and below.
2. Semiconductors are substances that are good at conducting electricity under some conditions, but are not good at conducting electricity under others. They are widely used in electronics and photonics.
3. Antiferromagnetic substances are not magnetic in the traditional sense, but they are magnetic nonetheless. They are magnetic in two directions at the same time, and thus they cancel each other out. If you can influence this magnetism, it is useful and central to quantum technology.
4. This amounts to three good things at once, and the material is also environmentally friendly.

A quantum leap in clay

The researchers have called it “a quantum leap in clay.” A quantum leap is technically a very small leap, even though it is used in everyday speech to mean great progress. In this context, it is both.

But even though the material is found in nature, it will still have to be made useful in high-tech environments. It is not just a matter of shoveling the clay directly out of the ground and then using it in quantum computers or in photonics.

“Advanced methods are still needed to extract the material, examine it and find out how it can be used in technology,” says Pacáková.

To study these thin clay layers, researchers have to use specialized equipment in laboratories that is accurate and reliable. If the material is going to be used in new products one day, it may still be necessary to have a very clean and controlled environment, such as in a laboratory cleanroom.

Not perfect at room temperature

“The material is also not antiferromagnetic at room temperature. But its characteristics suggest that the material may have an impact on the technology of the future, such as in spintronics, photonics, magnetic sensors and computers that mimic the human brain,” says Fossum.

Fossum heads the Soft and Complex Matter Lab at NTNU, where much of the work on the new material has been carried out.

“Our laboratory has a special approach. We don’t just look for flawless materials created in laboratories, but look for natural materials that can also be used. This allowed us to identify this material,” says Fossum.

International cooperation

The findings are the result of an international partnership led by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), in close collaboration with physicists at the Universidade de São Paulo (USP) in Brazil, the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble, France, and Univerzita Karlova in Prague, Czech Republic.

The NTNU team consists of six researchers. Four are women who are early in their careers. Fossum and Pacáková say these results show the importance of supporting up-and-coming researchers through mentor programs such as NTNU offers.

“Not only are these exciting scientific results. It shows what talented researchers can achieve early on when they are only given the opportunity,” Fossum and Pacáková said.