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Silencing the Noise: DOE Unveils Breakthrough in Domestic Silicon and Germanium Isotope Supply Chains to Power Next-Gen Quantum Information Science

Multi-laboratory achievement yields critical isotopes at least 100x more depleted of contaminants than any commercial source worldwide, accelerating the goals of the historic Genesis Mission.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Isotope R&D and Production (IRP), within the Office of Science, today announced a major, multi-laboratory breakthrough in domestic stable isotope enrichment and production capabilities. Through a collaborative effort between Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), the U.S. has developed pioneering technologies to produce ultra-enriched silane (SiH₄) and germane (GeH₄) that are extremely depleted in noise-inducing contaminant isotopes. 

“This advancement has the potential to increase the operability of quantum computers and will help enable the U.S. to be the undisputed leader in the quantum technology race,” said Darío Gil, DOE Under Secretary for Science. “This is our generation's space race, and with this breakthrough, we aren't just competing – we are setting the pace.”

These new materials are at least 100x more depleted of isotopic noise than any commercially available material worldwide. Specifically, the ORNL and PNNL technologies reduce the concentrations of the containment isotopes Ge-73 and Si-29 to below 1 part per million (ppm) in germane and silane, respectively. Additionally, Si-28 purity reaches 99.9999% in silane. This milestone is key to increasing the operability and coherence time of quantum computers, establishing a resilient domestic supply chain and directly supporting the goals of the 2025 Executive Order: Launching the Genesis Mission.

“For years, the promise of quantum supercomputing has been held back by the microscopic noise of the physical world,” said Christopher Landers, Director of IRP. “Today, we have silenced that noise. By achieving isotope purities never before seen on Earth, we are hand-delivering the foundation for the world's most stable quantum computers right here in America. This isn't just an incremental step; it is the spark to ignite the next technological revolution.”

Breakthrough Germanium and Silicon Enrichment Technologies at ORNL and PNNL

Since the decommissioning of the historic World War II-era calutrons in 1998, the United States has lacked scaled, domestic stable isotope enrichment. Today, the nation is officially reclaiming its leadership. By optimizing modern Electromagnetic Isotope Separation (EMIS) and Thermal Diffusion Isotopic Separation (TDIS) technologies, IRP, ORNL, and PNNL have developed enrichment systems that exponentially exceed legacy Cold-War-era capabilities.

Leveraging the complementary technologies, capabilities, and expertise of two DOE national laboratories is crucial to produce the critical isotopes needed for quantum computing.

ORNL Enrichment with EMIS

The forefront of this revival at ORNL is the plasma-science-based EMIS technology, which can simultaneously isolate and enrich multiple isotopes of an individual element in a single production run. EMIS technology is highly adaptable across the periodic table with excellent single pass enrichment capabilities. Using commercially available feed materials, the ORNL EMIS systems achieve extremely high isotopic depletion of contaminant isotopes.  For example, the EMIS germanium product has Ge-73 levels well below 1 ppm. 

“R&D investments over the last decade have increasingly optimized the performance of these state-of-the-art devices and their versatility and precision are unmatched,” said Alan Tatum, ORNL Stable Isotope Portfolio Manager.

IRP Director Landers noted that “with these capabilities at ORNL, and the complementary capabilities at PNNL, IRP has the ability to supply unprecedented isotopic and chemical purities of silicon, germanium, and other isotopes in the physical forms needed for quantum research.”       

This unprecedented efficiency allows researchers to concurrently harvest and produce highly enriched quantum-critical isotopes such as:

• Silicon-28: Used to support spin-free semiconductor environments and next-generation technologies.
• Germanium-70/76: Utilized for quantum computing
• Ytterbium-171: Used for trapped-ion quantum computing and memory applications 

PNNL Conversion, Purification, and TDIS Enrichment

At PNNL, groundbreaking advances have been made in chemical conversion and purification of isotopically enriched quantum-relevant materials. PNNL developed highly efficient, high-purity reaction systems that now allow production of silane and germane gas from enriched materials in other chemical forms (e.g., SiF₄, GeF₄, and GeO₂). After chemical conversion, PNNL’s state-of-the-art purification systems are applied to reduce unwanted contaminants in the silane and germane to well below 1 ppm. These gases are essential feedstocks used by the semiconductor industry to deposit ultra-thin films of silicon and germanium onto advanced computing chips and quantum devices.

Under IRP guidance, PNNL also recently developed and fielded multiple modernized automated TDIS systems that allow direct isotopic enrichment of silane and germane gases. Direct enrichment greatly reduces the chance of isotopic dilution from contamination.

"Isotopic dilution of enriched silicon is a challenging problem," said Mike Powell, the project Principal Investigator at PNNL. "But we carefully designed our systems and handling procedures to maintain the starting feedstock isotopic purity through to the final silane and germane products."

Under strict safety protocols, PNNL has developed automated control systems that monitor hundreds of process variables to safely manage the conversion, purification, and TDIS systems for silane and germane. Ongoing research aims to simplify the production process, minimize impurity risks, and secure an exceptionally stable, ultra-pure supply of precursor materials not currently available commercially.

Sustaining America’s Technological Edge

Through sustained infrastructure investments, active research, and strategic partnerships with universities, private industry, and National Laboratories, the DOE’s Office of Science is building a resilient foundation for next-generation technologies. By combining isotopic enrichment breakthroughs at ORNL with advanced chemical processing and enrichment at PNNL, the U.S. is securing its technological leadership from raw element to finished microelectronic component.

Contact & Availability Information:

For more information on the availability of isotopically enriched stable isotopes, including gaseous silane and germane, please contact the DOE National Isotope Development Center (NIDC) at www.isotopes.gov.