Quantum Coherence in a Perylene-Based Metal–Organic Framework for Potential Solid-State Qubits

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as promising candidates for quantum information and photonic applications due to their structural tunability and the potential to contain molecular qubits in architectures that support coherent light-matter interactions. In this study, we investigate the ultrafast coherent dynamics of a perylene-based MOF, UMCM-313, and its corresponding perylene-based organic linker crystal using time-resolved two-photon near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM). By tracking the electronic quantum coherence, we reveal coherent modes persisting up to several hundred femtoseconds (fs) at room temperature and extending to the picosecond regime (≈0.9-1 ps) at 173 K in the MOF, significantly longer than the coherence time observed in the organic linkers at the femtosecond scale. The enhanced electronic coherence of UMCM-313 is attributed to periodic chromophore separation and a reduced degree of homogeneous broadening. Because electron spin coherence can be several orders of magnitude longer than optical coherence, we further probed the spin coherence of photoexcited triplet states in UMCM-313 by using time-resolved and pulsed electron paramagnetic resonance (TREPR and pulse-EPR) spectroscopy. TREPR spectra reveal multiple triplet species within the framework, while pulse-EPR measurements yield a phase memory time of 237 ± 5 ns at 173 K. These results demonstrate that UMCM-313 supports both extended excitonic coherence and nanosecond spin coherence, underscoring the importance of periodic framework connectivity in sustaining phase-stable quantum states. The coexistence of electronic coherence and long-lived spin coherence highlights the potential of MOFs as hybrid platforms for quantum photonic and spintronic technologies capable of maintaining coherence under operationally accessible conditions.