  Molecular structures appear to be natural candidates for a quantum
technology: individual atoms can support quantum superpositions for long
periods, and such atoms can in principle be embedded in a permanent molecular
scaffolding to form an array. This would be true nanotechnology, with
dimensions of order of a nanometre. However, the challenges of realising such a
vision are immense. One must identify a suitable elementary unit and
demonstrate its merits for qubit storage and manipulation, including input /
output. These units must then be formed into large arrays corresponding to an
functional quantum architecture, including a mechanism for gate operations.
Here we report our efforts, both experimental and theoretical, to create such a
technology based on endohedral fullerenes or 'buckyballs'. We describe our
successes with respect to these criteria, along with the obstacles we are
currently facing and the questions that remain to be addressed.
