Graphene has had challenges in manufacturing at scale, and the collaboration is targeting quantum computing as a key use case.
Two awards, of £1.4 million from Innovate UK and a £2m UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship award will allow Birmingham researchers led by Dr Matt Coak, supported by the team at Paragraf and others, to drive developments for commercialisation at scale in the graphene world.
The University of Birmingham is collaborating with Paragraf Ltd, a UK-based company pioneering the mass production of graphene-based electronics, with funding awards to accelerate the scaling up of the production of graphene on six-inch wafers and explore the potential of graphene sensors for quantum computing.
Graphene consists of a single layer of carbon atoms and has unique physical properties including high strength and unique electrical conductivity. Graphene sensors function with unbeaten precision at ultra-low temperatures, holding promise that they could be used to govern the delicate magnetic shielding and control of the qubit processors used in quantum computing.
However graphene has had challenges in manufacturing at scale, graphene electronics is an emerging industry, and cryogenic (extreme low temperature) testing of such graphene devices has also been challenging.
Cryogenic testing of real, practical, graphene devices has not been carried out before, and their properties at ultra-low temperatures, in the realm of truly quantum behaviour, are largely unknown.
Two awards, of £1.4 million from Innovate UK and a £2m UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship award will allow Birmingham researchers led by Dr Matt Coak from the School of Physics and Astronomy supported by the team at Paragraf and others to drive these developments for commercialisation at scale in the graphene world.
The collaboration is targeting quantum computing as a key use case. Dr Natasha Conway, Research Director at Paragraf says, “Graphene magnetic sensors have the potential to be a key enabling technology in quantum computers. The cutting-edge research being conducted at Birmingham is enabling us to prepare for this transformative market as it develops.”
Dr Coak said: “Cryogenic testing of real, practical, graphene devices has not been carried out before, and their properties at ultra-low temperatures, in the realm of truly quantum behaviour, are largely unknown.”
“The future of electronics lies in the adoption of advanced materials,” said Simon Thomas, Co-Founder and CEO of Paragraf. “Scaling up our production of real-world devices that are prepared to solve significant problems in quantum computing, battery management, agritech, molecular sensing and many other arenas is a major step towards realising that future in a sustainable way. And the fact that we are able to do this here in the UK means that the country stands to lead the advanced materials revolution.”
The group and the experimental capabilities at Birmingham, with specialised low-temperature equipment, and a background in nanotechnology, quantum computing and 2D materials, are a crucial part of building to this future. The funding will allow Dr Coak’s team to explore new 2D materials and electronic devices - and the partnership with Paragraf is a crucial to the discovery of quantum states in these new 2D materials, then deploying new technology built from them.
Dr Coak further explained Birmingham’s capabilities and role in the partnership: “The School of Physics and Astronomy is carrying out systematic testing at high and low temperatures of graphene magnetic field sensors for use in quantum computers and the charging and battery management circuitry of electric cars. We are additionally probing the fundamental quantum physics inside these single sheets of atoms and seeking to construct detailed theoretical models to describe their electronic behaviour.”
For media information contact Ruth Ashton, University of Birmingham Enterprise, r.c.ashton@bham.ac.uk
For media information about Paragraf contact media@paragraf.com.
More details on graphene fabrication can be found in the recent Paragraf Ltd Press Release.
About the University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world’s top 100 institutions, and its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers and teachers and more than 6,500 international students from nearly 150 countries.
University of Birmingham Enterprise helps researchers turn their ideas into new services, products and enterprises that meet real-world needs. We also provide incubation, and support innovators and entrepreneurs with mentoring, advice, and training, manage the University’s Academic Consultancy Service, and University of Birmingham Enterprise Operating Divisions. Follow us on LinkedIn and X.
About Paragraf
Paragraf is pioneering the mass production of graphene-based electronic devices using standard semiconductors processes. Its unique foundry capability produces differentiated graphene electronics as standard products that solve important problems in a range of applications, including automotive, industrial automation, cryogenics, healthcare and agri-tech.
About UK Research and Innovation
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is the largest public funder of research and innovation in the UK, investing £8 billion annually spanning all disciplines and all sectors. We are nine councils, drawing on our unique breadth and depth of expertise to work with government and other stakeholders to enrich lives, by increasing our understanding of ourselves and the world around us, supporting innovative businesses and public services, and creating high-quality jobs throughout the UK.
UKRI Future Leaders Fellow
Staff profile for Dr Matthew Coak.
