Naturally Occurring Clay Shows Promise for Sustainable Quantum Technology

Naturally Occurring Clay Shows Promise for Sustainable Quantum Technology
by Robert Schreiber
Berlin, Germany (SPX) May 20, 2025

Quantum technologies are poised to transform computing, communications, and sensing, and now researchers have discovered that a naturally occurring clay could play a crucial role in making this vision more sustainable. Unlike synthetic materials that often require highly controlled laboratory conditions, this clay offers an abundant, non-toxic, and naturally quantum-active component.

"We have found a naturally occurring clay material with sought-after properties for use in quantum technology," says Professor Jon Otto Fossum from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology's (NTNU) Department of Physics. This discovery means that a quantum-active material can be sourced directly from nature, potentially reducing costs and environmental impacts.

Barbara Pacakova, a researcher at NTNU's Department of Physics and the first author of the study, emphasizes the significance of this breakthrough. "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," she says.

The material has several critical properties essential for quantum technologies. It is practically two-dimensional, functions as a semiconductor, and exhibits antiferromagnetic behavior. These three traits are crucial for quantum devices operating at atomic scales:

Two-Dimensional Structure: Essential for miniaturized, atomic-scale devices.

Semiconducting Properties: Allows for controlled electrical conduction, foundational to modern electronics and photonics.

Antiferromagnetic Behavior: A complex form of magnetism that can be exploited for advanced computing architectures like spintronics.

While the material shows significant promise, it is not without challenges. It is not naturally antiferromagnetic at room temperature, which limits its immediate practical applications. However, Fossum remains optimistic about its potential in fields like spintronics, photonics, magnetic sensors, and neuromorphic computing.

The research was led by NTNU in collaboration with the Universidade de Sao Paulo in Brazil, the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in France, and Univerzita Karlova in the Czech Republic. This diverse international team reflects the growing importance of global collaboration in cutting-edge materials science.

Research Report:Naturally occurring 2D semiconductor with antiferromagnetic ground state