Presenters: Alex Hall
Authors: Alex Hall, Seth VanMaren, Jacob Dean
Faculty Advisor: Jacob Dean
Institution: Southern Utah University
Quantum Computing is "The use of quantum phenomena such as superposition and entanglement to perform computation” and is today’s goal for future computing. Classical computers can only take bits of information in binary code (0’s and 1’s) to store information, limiting storage space. One unique strategy for quantum computing seeks to harness DNA's phosphodiester backbone and structure to store massive amounts of information in an extremely small space. They do this by attaching molecules capable of high energy absorbance to a strand of synthesized DNA, and using the relationships formed between these molecules to create molecular devices. Many variables factor into whether or not a molecule is a candidate for quantum computing, including how long the electrons stay in the excited state, the flexibility of the molecule, and what wavelengths of light it absorbs and emits. Though the research is still in early stages, there is a lot of potential to be found. Our study seeks to identify all the properties of the molecule Cy5, which has been used as one of these high-absorbance molecules, and in doing this to help identify how its light absorbance and florescence might be better utilized and understood for the use of storing information for quantum computing. We did this by performing various spectral analyses, measuring both its absorbance and florescence within a buffer. By exciting Cy5 in solution and taking spectra of the absorption and emission, we can determine if the molecule is a candidate for storing data via quantum computing.