Robust room temperature spin coherence: Towards new quantum materials and technologies

Spin coherent quantum dynamics occurs in the electronic, magnetic and optical behavior of many materials at room temperature, including semiconductors (organic and inorganic), ferrites, and complex oxides. Many effects are most dramatic at interfaces or in hybrid structures, and some persist to the single-spin limit. Predicting spin coherent properties requires integrating theoretical techniques to address multiple material classes, and to cope with energy scales ranging from far smaller than the thermal energy to far larger. Quantum-coherent behavior then emerges from an interesting set of excited states and the couplings among them, whose description challenges ab initio approaches. These phenomena imply new categories of quantum materials and technologies.