IISc Breakthrough: Smart Materials Could Revolutionise Quantum Processors and Sensors

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have developed novel smart materials that could serve as the building blocks for next-generation data storage units, quantum processors, and advanced industrial sensors. These materials can change their physical properties in response to light, heat, or mechanical pressure, according to two new studies.

In the first study, published in the journal Angewandte Chemie, Professor Abhishek Mondal and his team at the Solid State and Structural Chemistry Unit (SSCU) reported the synthesis of highly porous crystals composed of self-assembling metal-organic layers. These crystals exhibit reversible magnetic switching—a long-standing challenge in materials science. The challenge was achieving robust magnetic switching in three-dimensional beehive-type porous materials, which are typically used for gas or liquid sensing.

When a target gas or liquid enters or leaves such a material, the crystal lattice expands or contracts, stimulating atoms to switch their magnetic state. In traditional porous materials, this expansion or contraction is limited because the push-pull force exerted by an atom on its neighbours is absorbed by the pores and remains localised. This limits the efficiency of sensors, as the material does not switch states uniformly.

To overcome this, Professor Mondal's team designed a new chemical complex that is both highly porous and has an elastic matrix, allowing the entire material to respond uniformly. 'We are currently working on scaling up the complex to design smart gas-capture sensors that can selectively adsorb industrially critical gases like methane, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide with supreme sensitivity,' said Professor Mondal.

While such materials are highly useful for environmental and biological sensing, a major bottleneck has been the temperature required for operation. Many contemporary materials only work at ultra-low temperatures—below 50 Kelvin (-223°C)—and are highly volatile, relaxing back to their ground state with even a slight rise in temperature.

In the second study, published in the journal Small, the team designed a two-dimensional hexagonal framework that achieves light-, heat-, and solvent-induced magnetic transitions near ambient temperatures. This addresses the temperature limitation, making the materials more practical for real-world applications.

'Modern data centres and electronic devices consume enormous amounts of energy. Developing alternative materials that operate more efficiently could reduce energy demands and contribute to more sustainable technologies. Similarly, materials capable of acting simultaneously as sensors, switches, and memory elements may simplify device architectures and reduce manufacturing costs,' Professor Mondal noted.

The research represents a significant step forward in smart materials, with potential applications in quantum computing, advanced sensors, and energy-efficient data storage.