Boron Arsenide Hits Quantum Vibration Record

Researchers find record-high coherence for phonons in boron arsenide, a promising semiconductor for quantum phononics.

Mar. 24, 2026 at 8:06am

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Researchers have discovered that cubic boron arsenide, a semiconductor with promising electronic and thermal properties, exhibits record-high coherence for phonons, the quantum vibrations of atoms in solid materials. The team found that in boron arsenide, the energy transfer from optical phonons to acoustic phonons takes a less probable pathway involving four-phonon scattering, making optical phonons especially long-lived compared to typical materials. This finding encourages further efforts in isotope engineering of boron arsenide for quantum phononics applications.

Why it matters

Phonons, the quantum vibrations of atoms in solid materials, play a crucial role in both classical and quantum electronics. Acoustic phonons govern heat conduction, while optical phonons can provide a channel for managing excess heat and directly transmitting information. The discovery of record-high coherence for phonons in boron arsenide, a promising semiconductor, opens up new possibilities for developing quantum phononics technologies.

The details

The research team, including scientists from Rice University, the University of Houston, and Texas Tech University, produced high-quality boron arsenide crystals with only boron-11 isotopes. They then used Raman and infrared spectroscopy to study phonon scattering pathways at both room temperature and cryogenic temperatures. They found that in boron arsenide, the energy transfer from optical phonons to acoustic phonons takes a less probable pathway involving four-phonon scattering, making optical phonons especially long-lived. The analysis confirmed that four-phonon scattering is dominant over three-phonon scattering in boron arsenide, and that the remaining boron-10 isotope is the main cause of coherence loss at the quantum ground state.

  • The research was published on March 23, 2026.

The players

Hanyu Zhu

The corresponding author on the study, and the William Marsh Rice Chair and associate professor of materials science and nanoengineering at Rice University.

Zhifeng Ren

The leader of a research group at the University of Houston that contributed to the study.

Rui He

The leader of a research group at Texas Tech University that contributed to the study.

Sanjna Sukumaran

A co-author of the study and a doctoral student in the Zhu lab.

Tong Lin

The first author on the study and a former doctoral student at Rice University who worked under Zhu's supervision.

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What they’re saying

“These vibrations are crucial for both classical or quantum electronics.”

— Hanyu Zhu, Corresponding author and William Marsh Rice Chair and associate professor of materials science and nanoengineering at Rice University

“Quantum mechanics dictates that this process must involve an integer number of particles, meaning at least one in and two out.”

— Hanyu Zhu, Corresponding author and William Marsh Rice Chair and associate professor of materials science and nanoengineering at Rice University

“In boron arsenide, an optical phonon contains more energy than any possible combination of two outgoing acoustic phonons, so the friction against one optical phonon by two acoustic phonons does not occur. This means that optical phonons in boron arsenide are especially long-lived.”

— Hanyu Zhu, Corresponding author and William Marsh Rice Chair and associate professor of materials science and nanoengineering at Rice University

“We found record-high coherence for phonons at low temperatures, when the vibration completed nearly a thousand cycles before fading, compared to less than a hundred in typical materials.”

— Hanyu Zhu, Corresponding author and William Marsh Rice Chair and associate professor of materials science and nanoengineering at Rice University

“Without isotope impurity, we can extend the lifetime by another 10 times. These findings encourage further efforts of isotope engineering in boron arsenide, which offers a promising semiconductor platform for quantum phononics.”

— Hanyu Zhu, Corresponding author and William Marsh Rice Chair and associate professor of materials science and nanoengineering at Rice University

What’s next

The researchers plan to continue their efforts in isotope engineering of boron arsenide to further extend the lifetime of optical phonons and develop quantum phononics technologies.

The takeaway

The discovery of record-high coherence for phonons in boron arsenide, a promising semiconductor, opens up new possibilities for developing advanced quantum electronics and thermal management technologies that harness the unique properties of this material.