Researchers at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (UChicago PME) have demonstrated a method to turn a protein found in living cells into a functioning quantum bit (qubit), which can be used as a quantum sensor. The research was co-led by David Awschalom, Liew Family Professor of Molecular Engineering and director of the Chicago Quantum Exchange (CQE), and Peter Maurer, assistant professor of molecular engineering at UChicago PME. The findings, detailed in a paper titled “A fluorescent-protein spin qubit,” were published in Nature.
The research addresses the challenge of applying quantum technology, which typically requires extreme isolation, within the warm and noisy environment of living biological systems. The protein qubits can be built directly by cells and are positioned with atomic precision. The researchers claim the sensors can detect signals thousands of times stronger than existing quantum sensors and could enable quantum-enabled nanoscale MRI. The work focused on a genetically encoded fluorescent protein and the researchers believe the technique should work across a wide class of proteins.
This research opens possibilities for quantum sensing inside living systems, providing a method to directly measure quantum properties on the nanoscale. The protein qubits could also introduce a new approach to designing quantum materials by using methods of evolution and self-assembly to address scalability issues in current spin-based quantum technology. While these protein-based qubits do not yet match the sensitivity of diamond-based quantum sensors, their ability to be genetically encoded into living systems enables a distinct set of applications. The research received funding from the NSF QuBBE QLCI and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Read the full announcement here and the paper in Nature here.
August 21, 2025
