ENG: Researchers at the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering have developed a computational framework that models the complete optical cycle of spin defects in solid materials such as diamond and silicon carbide. These microscopic defects can act as qubits for quantum technologies, including quantum sensing, because their electronic states can be manipulated and measured using light. However, accurately predicting how they release energy after excitation has remained a challenge. The new framework addresses this limitation by modeling internal conversion, a process in which excited electrons lose energy through atomic vibrations rather than emitting light.
