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Quantum
32 posts
What is a quantum bit (qubit)?
(Image credit: ALFRED PASIEKA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY via Getty Images) A quantum bit, otherwise known as a qubit, is the basic unit of data in quantum computing. Like a binary bit in classical computers, as it can store information, but behaves very differently thanks to quantum mechanics.Quantum computers normally use subatomic particles, such as photons (packets
Can Thermodynamics Go Quantum?
The principles of thermodynamics are cornerstones of our understanding of physics. But they were discovered in the era of steam-driven technology, long before anyone dreamed of quantum mechanics. In this episode, the theoretical physicist Nicole Yunger Halpern talks to host Steven Strogatz about how physicists today are reinterpreting concepts such as work, energy and information
The quantum amplification of a fragile magnetic field realized for the first time
Quantum amplification can accurately measure a weak electromagnetic field. However, spin quantum amplification’s limitations include readout sensitivity, coherence time, and gaseous spin initialization. These obstacles must be removed to realize quantum amplification’s full potential. Researchers have proposed the idea of dark-state spin quantum amplification and conducted experiments in the mixed system of gaseous xenon and
Quantum Binds: Pomerons in the Proton Do Not Destroy Maximal Entanglement
Scientists have demonstrated that protons are maximally entangled at a quantum level in collisions with high-energy photons, extending these findings to include pomeron-involved scenarios. Credit: SciTechDaily.comWhen a high-energy photon strikes a proton, secondary particles diverge in a way that indicates that the inside of the proton is maximally entangled. An international team of physicists with
Dutch quantum dot startup bags €5M to improve X-ray imaging
Deep tech startup QDI Systems has secured €5mn in Series A funding to further boost its ambitious mission: revolutionising X-ray imaging and mammography screening using quantum dots technology. Quantum dots are microscopic semiconductor nanoparticles that convert photons into electronic signals. Although first discovered in the 1980s, quantum dots have only recently been used in the
Quantum Breakthrough: Caltech Scientists Unveil New Way To Erase Quantum Computer Errors
Researchers from Caltech have developed a quantum eraser to correct “erasure” errors in quantum computing systems. This technique, which involves manipulating alkaline-earth neutral atoms in laser light “tweezers,” allows for the detection and correction of errors through fluorescence. The innovation leads to a tenfold improvement in entanglement rates in Rydberg neutral atom systems, representing a
Despite steady improvements in quantum computers, they are still noisy and error prone, which leads to questionable or wrong answers. In June, 2023, scientists predicted that Quantum Computers won’t truly outcompete todays classical supercomputers for at least five or 10 years, until researchers can adequately correct the errors that bedevil entangled quantum bits, or qubits.
Arrays of quantum rods could enhance TVs or virtual reality devices, research suggests
MIT engineers have used DNA origami scaffolds to create precisely structured arrays of quantum rods, which could be incorporated into LEDs for televisions or virtual reality devices. Credit: Dr. Xin Luo, BatheBioNanoLab Flat screen TVs that incorporate quantum dots are now commercially available, but it has been more difficult to create arrays of their elongated
To Move Fast, Quantum Maze Solvers Must Forget the Past
Because the interference has to work out just right, not every computational task is amenable to a quantum speedup, and indeed researchers are still working out where quantum algorithms can help, decades after quantum computing was first proposed. But they’ve had some notable successes. In 1994, Peter Shor developed a quantum algorithm for factoring large
Unraveling a Quantum Enigma: How Tantalum Enhances Qubit Performance
Scientists have discovered that tantalum, a superconducting metal, significantly improves the performance of qubits in quantum computers. By using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, they found that the tantalum oxide layer on qubits was non-uniform, prompting further investigations on how to modify these interfaces to boost overall device performance.Researchers decode the chemical profile of tantalum surface oxides