Quantum Horizons at ESS: From Synthesis to Scattering

Research Project, 2027 – 2029

Quantum Horizons will establish Sweden’s foundation for discovery-driven research on quantum materials by linking materials synthesis, neutron instrumentation, and data-driven analysis into a coherent national capability that enables early-science experiments (2026–2028) and prepares flagship studies for ESS 2030+, when the facility operates at full power (5 MW) with its complete suite of 22 instruments. For the Swedish quantum materials community, the central scientific question driving this effort is: How do correlated spins, lattice vibrations, and interfacial structures interact to produce emergent quantum states — and how can these be controlled or designed through material architecture? Addressing this question requires the high brilliance and time structure of ESS, which uniquely allow experiments on small or weakly scattering samples, precise mapping of spin and lattice excitations, and polarization-resolved studies of magnetic and superconducting heterostructures. By coordinating materials development and analysis workflows across Sweden’s major universities, Quantum Horizons will transform the currently small neutron community on quantum materials into a sustainable, experiment-capable national platform that contributes directly to ESS’s scientific output and future development, by leveraging Sweden’s unique potential to synergize experimental efforts with materials-specific theory. While the focus of Quantum Horizons is fundamental understanding, the insights gained on correlated spins, interfacial magnetism, and topological textures will directly inform emerging technologies in spintronics and quantum information. The ability to engineer and stabilize metastable or chiral magnetic states has clear implications for low-power magnetic memory, neuromorphic computing, and superconducting spintronics.