Oak Ridge National Laboratory, PNNL Cut Isotope Noise 100× for Quantum Operability

Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have achieved a breakthrough in stable isotope enrichment, producing silane and germane with contaminant levels at least 100 times lower than any commercially available material worldwide. The collaborative effort reduces concentrations of isotopes Ge-73 and Si-29 to below 1 part per million in germane and silane, respectively, while reaching 99.9999% purity for Si-28 in silane. This advancement supports the goals of the Genesis Mission and is expected to accelerate progress in quantum computing, a field Darío Gil, DOE Under Secretary for Science, calls “our generation’s space race.” Gil stated, “This is our generation’s space race, and with this breakthrough, we aren’t just competing – we are setting the pace.”

DOE Advances EMIS and TDIS for Domestic Isotope Production

The United States has reclaimed a leading position in stable isotope production, achieving contaminant levels in germanium and silicon below one part per million, a purity exceeding any commercially available material globally. The Department of Energy’s Office of Isotope R&D and Production optimized Electromagnetic Isotope Separation (EMIS) and Thermal Diffusion Isotopic Separation (TDIS) technologies, surpassing the capabilities of Cold-War-era systems. ORNL’s EMIS technology isolates and enriches multiple isotopes simultaneously, achieving Ge-73 levels below 1 ppm in germanium products. Alan Tatum, ORNL Stable Isotope Portfolio Manager, stated, “R&D investments over the last decade have increasingly optimized the performance of these devices, and their versatility and precision are unmatched.” Complementing this, PNNL developed efficient chemical conversion systems to produce silane and germane gases, essential for semiconductor manufacturing, followed by purification processes reducing contaminants to below 1 ppm.

PNNL also deployed modernized automated TDIS systems for direct enrichment of these gases, minimizing isotopic dilution. This dual-laboratory approach allows for isotopic and chemical purities, including 99.9999% purity for Si-28 in silane, crucial for spin-free semiconductor environments. Christopher Landers, Director of IRP, noted, “With these capabilities at ORNL, and the complementary capabilities at PNNL, IRP has the ability to supply isotopic and chemical purities of silicon, germanium and other isotopes in the physical forms needed for quantum research.”

The demand for increasingly pure materials underpins several advanced technologies, but achieving contaminant levels below one part per million proved difficult until recently. This capability addresses a critical bottleneck in quantum information science, where even trace amounts of unwanted isotopes introduce disruptive noise. ORNL’s contribution centers on Electromagnetic Isotope Separation, or EMIS, a technology capable of simultaneously isolating and enriching multiple isotopes during a single production run. Utilizing commercially available feed materials, the ORNL EMIS systems achieve Ge-73 levels representing a substantial improvement over commercially available materials. This advancement isn’t limited to germanium; the laboratory is also producing highly depleted silicon for quantum applications.

PNNL Purification Systems Minimize Contaminants to Sub-PPM Levels

Following enrichment at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, PNNL’s systems employ efficient chemical conversion to transform enriched materials, like silicon tetrafluoride and germanium dioxide, into usable silane and germane. This conversion is followed by purification, drastically reducing unwanted contaminants to below 1 ppm, a level of purity exceeding any commercially available material worldwide. These gases serve as essential building blocks for depositing ultra-thin films onto advanced computing chips and quantum devices. Mike Powell, the project Principal Investigator at PNNL, explained a key challenge: “Isotopic dilution of enriched silicon is a challenging problem,” but the team’s careful system design and handling procedures maintain feedstock purity throughout the process. These systems operate under strict safety protocols, utilizing automated controls to monitor hundreds of process variables during conversion, purification, and enrichment.

The pursuit of such extreme purity isn’t merely academic; Christopher Landers, Director of IRP, stated, “By achieving isotope purities never before seen, we are providing the foundation for the world’s most stable quantum computers right here in America.” Ongoing research focuses on simplifying production and securing a consistently stable, ultra-pure supply of these precursor materials, essential for sustaining America’s technological edge in the rapidly evolving quantum landscape.

The pursuit of stable quantum computing relies heavily on material science advancements, and recent breakthroughs in isotope production are expected to dramatically improve qubit coherence. These advancements aren’t merely incremental; they represent a fundamental shift in the availability of materials essential for scaling quantum technologies. This extreme purification directly addresses a key limitation in quantum computing: environmental noise that disrupts delicate quantum states. Christopher Landers, Director of IRP, explains, “Today, we have silenced that noise. This combination allows for the creation of silane with 99.9999% Si-28 purity, supporting spin-free semiconductor environments.”