New Evaluation Framework for Quantum Materials
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a systematic approach to predict which quantum materials are most likely to achieve commercial success, according to their recently published study. The framework combines a material’s quantum properties with practical considerations like cost, environmental impact, and supply chain resilience that have traditionally been overlooked in fundamental research.
Bridging Quantum Research and Commercial Application
The research team, led by Mingda Li, associate professor of nuclear science and engineering, evaluated more than 16,000 materials using their new system. “People studying quantum materials are very focused on their properties and quantum mechanics,” Li stated in the report. “For some reason, they have a natural resistance during fundamental materials science research to thinking about the costs and other factors.”
Sources indicate that many researchers have considered these practical factors “too soft” or unrelated to science, but Li predicts this mindset will change within the next decade as environmental and cost considerations become routine at every development stage.
Quantifying Quantumness and Practicality
The researchers used an AI model they developed last year to quantify materials’ “quantumness” using a concept called quantum weight, which was originally proposed by MIT professor of physics Liang Fu. “For a long time, it’s been unclear how to quantify the quantumness of a material,” Fu explained in the study. “Quantum weight is very useful for this purpose. Basically, the higher the quantum weight of a material, the more quantum it is.”
According to the analysis published in Materials Today, the team focused on topological materials – a class of quantum materials with exotic electronic properties that arise from quantum mechanical effects. They assigned scores to each material based on multiple practical factors, including environmental impact, price, and import resilience.
Surprising Correlation Between Quantum Properties and Cost
The research revealed a strong correlation that hadn’t been previously documented. Analysts suggest that materials with the highest quantum fluctuation in the centers of their electrons also tend to be more expensive and environmentally damaging. “That’s useful information because the industry really wants something very low-cost,” said Ellan Spero, instructor from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.
The report states that this finding helps explain why many promising quantum materials never scale to industrial applications. “We know what we should be looking for: high quantum weight, low-cost materials,” Spero added. “Very few materials being developed meet that criteria, and that likely explains why they don’t scale to industry.”
Promising Candidates Identified
Through their evaluation framework, the researchers identified 200 environmentally sustainable materials and further refined the list to 31 material candidates that achieved an optimal balance of quantum functionality and high-potential impact. Associate Professor Farnaz Niroui of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science emphasized that “considering the scalability of manufacturing and environmental availability and impact is critical to ensuring practical adoption of these materials in emerging technologies.”
The researchers found that several widely studied materials exhibit high environmental impact scores, indicating they will be difficult to scale sustainably. Many of the topological materials evaluated have never been synthesized, which limited the accuracy of some predictions, but the team is already working with companies to study the most promising candidates.
Future Applications and Industry Impact
Professor Tomas Palacios from EECS noted that semiconductor companies have expressed interest in some of the identified materials. “We talked with people at semiconductor companies that said some of these materials were really interesting to them, and our chemist collaborators also identified some materials they find really interesting through this work,” Palacios stated.
Fu highlighted the tremendous potential of properly developed quantum materials, explaining that while solar cells have an efficiency limit of 34%, many topological materials have a theoretical limit of 89%. “Plus, you can harvest energy across all electromagnetic bands, including our body heat,” Fu said. “If we could reach those limits, you could easily charge your cell phone using body heat. These are performances that have been demonstrated in labs, but could never scale up. That’s the kind of thing we’re trying to push forward.”
The research comes at a time when other industries are facing similar scaling challenges, as seen in recent reports about PPE firm repayment issues and media company restructuring. Meanwhile, technology companies continue to seek funding for innovation, with Anthropic exploring additional funding amid ongoing global trade tensions that could affect material supply chains.
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