Latest Quantum computer Stories
Any physical system - be it an electron, a molecule of water, a virus, a human being, a whole planet "“ is characterized at each moment in time distinctively and specifically in a specific place by particular characteristics. This is what we call the "state of the system", but when one tries to describe said "state" precisely according to our current knowledge of the laws governing the universe, it is necessary to appeal to abstract formulations since the laws of quantum...
For most people, frustration is a condition to be avoided. But for scientists studying certain "frustrated" ensembles of interacting components "“ that is, those which cannot settle into a state that minimizes each interaction "“ it may be the key to understanding a host of puzzling phenomena that affect systems from neural networks and social structures to protein folding and magnetism.Frustration has typically been extremely difficult to study because even systems with...
Despite a steady improvement in the speed of conventional computers during the last few decades, certain types of problems remain computationally difficult to solve. Quantum computers hold the promise of offering a new route to solving some classes of these problems, such as breaking encryptions. The tremendous computing power of these devices stems from their use of quantum systems, called "qubits," which can exist in a "superposition" of two states at the same time "“...
On Monday, Australian scientists unveiled the world's smallest electronic switch measuring just a few atoms, which will shrink microchips and revolutionize computing speeds. The seven-atom transistor is the first step in a "quantum computer" which will make calculations millions of times faster than existing devices. Michelle Simmons, the lead researcher, said the technology has major implications for code breaking, financial transactions and weather forecasting, which involve...
McGill researchers make important contribution to the development of quantum computingPhysicists at McGill University have developed a system for measuring the energy involved in adding electrons to semi-conductor nanocrystals, also known as quantum dots "“ a technology that may revolutionize computing and other areas of science. Dr. Peter Grütter, McGill's Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Education, Faculty of Science, explains that his research team has developed a cantilever...
A team of scientists at UC Santa Barbara that helped pioneer research into the quantum properties of a small defect found in diamonds has now used cutting-edge computational techniques to produce a road map for studying defects in alternative materials.Their new research is published in the online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), and will soon be published in the print edition of the journal. The findings may enable new applications for semiconductors...
Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed the first "dimmer switch" for a superconducting circuit linking a quantum bit (qubit) and a quantum bus"”promising technologies for storing and transporting information in future quantum computers. The NIST switch is a new type of control device that can "tune" interactions between these components and potentially could speed up the development of a practical quantum computer.Quantum...
Rice physicists: Odd electron mix has fault-tolerant quantum registry HOUSTON -- There are enticing new findings this week in the worldwide search for materials that support fault-tolerant quantum computing. New results from Rice University and Princeton University indicate that a bizarre state of matter that acts like a particle with one-quarter electron charge also has a "quantum registry" that is immune to information loss from external perturbations.The research appeared...
Optical frequency combs could tame quantum bitsPhysicists at the University of Maryland have found a way to turn a precision measurement device into a versatile tool for manipulating quantum bits (qubits). The researchers adapted a device known as an optical frequency comb in their novel approach to performing the sorts of quantum data operations that will be vital for future quantum computers. The research appears in this week's issue of Physical Review Letters and is described in a...
Physicists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have built and tested a device for trapping electrically charged atoms (ions) that potentially could process dozens of ions at once with the most versatile control of any trap demonstrated to date. The novel design is a first attempt to systematically scale up from traps that hold a few ions in a few locations to large trap arrays that can process many ions simultaneously, with the ultimate goal of building a practical...
