Electrochemically engineered chiral tellurium nanowires for spin-orbit quantum devices

About the project

This project will use electrochemical deposition to grow chiral tellurium nanowires with controllable handedness, verified by circular dichroism, Raman spectroscopy and electron diffraction. Wires will be fabricated into devices for cryogenic magnetotransport studies probing spin-orbit coupling, quantum dots and Coulomb blockade, paving the way towards chirality-selected spin qubits.

Semiconductor spin qubits are a leading platform for scalable quantum computing, and a new paradigm is emerging in which the handedness of the host lattice, not just its composition, determines qubit properties. Tellurium is an archetypical example: Its atoms form helical chains that produce unusually strong spin-orbit coupling and gate-tunable charge-to-spin conversion. This allows spins confined in gate-defined quantum dots to be manipulated with electric fields alone, a route to fast, compact qubit control. Tellurium nanowires have already shown phase-coherent, quasi-ballistic transport and gate-defined quantum dots. However, tellurium crystallises in two mirror-image forms, as-grown material usually mixes both, and the spin-orbit response reverses with handedness. This is a fundamental barrier to reproducible qubits.

This project will realise enantiopure tellurium nanowires with controllable handedness as a materials platform for chiral spin qubits. Low-temperature electrochemical deposition at Southampton gives direct control over diameter, orientation, defect density and surface chemistry. Using it, we will develop templated and template-free growth routes and bias deposition towards a single handedness using chiral additives and chirally modified electrodes. Handedness will be verified by circular dichroism, Raman spectroscopy and convergent-beam electron diffraction. Wires will then be fabricated into devices in the Southampton Nanofabrication Centre and measured at cryogenic temperatures. These measurements will probe phase coherence, Coulomb blockade, g-factor anisotropy and spin-orbit energy scales, the quantities that define qubit operation, and establish how chirality governs electrical spin control.

Professor Iris Nandhakumar

• Scanning Probe Microscopy
• Carbon nanotubes
• Nanoscale materials

Supervisors

• Supervisors: YT Dr Yoshishige Tsuchiya Associate Professor

Dr Yoshishige Tsuchiya

• Dr Yoshishige Tsuchiya: Associate Professor

Entry requirements

You must have at least a UK 2:1 honours degree or its international equivalent .

Fees and funding

Funding is available on a competitive basis through the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Quantum Technology Engineering at the University of Southampton.

UK students receive a 4 year UKRI TechFirst tax-free stipend of £30,000 per year. Studentships at the UKRI minimum rate are available for EU, Horizon Europe and International students.

Overseas students who have or are seeking external funding are welcome to apply.

While undertaking your research project, you'll also receive substantial training in scientific, technical and commercial skills.

How to apply

Apply now

Please apply via the online portal and select:

Applications should include:

• Academic year: 2027/28
• If you will be full time or part time
• Faculty: Engineering and Physical Sciences
• Search for PhD Quantum Tech Eng
• Add the name of the supervisor in section 2 of the application
• your CV (resumé)
• 2 academic references
• degree transcripts and certificates to date

Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences

For questions about applying, email the Centre for Doctoral Training in Quantum Technology Engineering (qte@soton.ac.uk) .

Project leader

For an initial conversation, email Professor Iris Nandhakumar (iris@soton.ac.uk) .

Research areas