Nanowerk February 18, 2021 The faithful mapping of information between matter and light can facilitate communication between distant quantum processing nodes. Strong interaction benefits from tightly confined light fields, as well as from many atoms interacting simultaneously with such fields. An international team of researchers (Austria, Germany Israel) realized efficient light-matter interface by gradually thinning an optical fiber down to a diameter of 200 nm, about 600 times narrower than its original width, and about a quarter of the optical wavelength guided by the fiber. Reaching these dimensions resulted in a unique optical field with more than 99% of the […]
New phenomena for the design of future quantum devices
Nanowerk February 20, 2021 A team of researchers in the US (MIT, Pennsylvania State University, Argonne National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, NIST, University of Maryland) has shown that due to a new class of Kohn anomaly the topology of the electronic states in a topological material can leave fingerprints on their phonon properties. They experimentally observed it through inelastic x-ray and neutron scattering on WSM (Weyl semimetal) tantalum phosphide. Compared to the conventional Kohn anomaly, the Fermi surface in a WSM exhibits multiple topological singularities of Weyl nodes, leading to a distinct nesting condition with chiral selection, a power-law […]
Psychological ‘signature’ for the extremist mind uncovered
Science Daily February 21, 2021 Using an unprecedented number of cognitive tasks and personality surveys, along with data-driven analyses including drift-diffusion and Bayesian modelling, an international team of researchers (UK, USA – Stanford University) has uncovered the specific psychological signatures of political, nationalistic, religious, and dogmatic beliefs. Cognitive and personality assessments consistently outperformed demographic predictors in accounting for individual differences in ideological preferences by 4 to 15-fold. The data-driven analyses revealed that individuals’ ideological attitudes mirrored their cognitive decision-making strategies. Conservatism and nationalism were related to greater caution in perceptual decision-making tasks and to reduced strategic information processing, while dogmatism […]
Quantum systems learn joint computing
EurekAlert February 24,2021 An international team of researchers (Germany, Spain) succeeded in connecting two qubit modules across a 60-meter distance in such a way that they effectively form a basic quantum computer with two qubits. They performed a quantum computing operation between two independent qubit setups in different laboratories. To generate entanglement between qubits for quantum computations they employed modules consisting of a single atom as a qubit that is positioned amidst two mirrors. Between these modules, they sent a photon, that is transported in the optical fiber. This photon is then entangled with the quantum states of the qubits […]
A speed limit also applies in the quantum world
Science Daily February 19, 2021 In two-level systems, the quantum brachistochrone solutions are long known but they are not applicable to larger systems, especially when the target state cannot be reached through a local transformation. An international team of researchers (Germany, USA – MIT, Italy) has demonstrated fast coherent transport of an atomic wave packet over 15 times its size, a case of quantum processes going beyond the two-level system. The measurements of the transport fidelity revealed the existence of a minimum duration—a quantum speed limit—for the coherent splitting and recombination of matter waves. They obtained physical insight into this […]
Spintronics: New production method makes crystalline microstructures universally usable
Science Daily February 23, 2021 Based on a recently developed method that allows the fabrication of freestanding monocrystalline YIG bridges on gadolinium-gallium-garnet, researchers in Germany have developed a process that allows the transfer of monocrystalline yttrium-iron-garnet microstructures onto virtually any kind of substrate. The bridges’ spans are detached from the substrate by a dry etching process and immersed in a watery solution. Using drop-casting, the immersed YIG platelets can be transferred onto the substrate of choice, where the structures finally can be reattached and, thus, be integrated into complex devices or experimental geometries. They demonstrated that the structures retain their […]
Top 10 Science and Technology Inventions for the Week of February 19, 2021
01. Blueprint for fault-tolerant qubits 02. Light used to detect quantum information stored in 100,000 nuclear quantum bits 03. Graphene “nano-origami” creates tiniest microchips yet 04. Harnessing socially-distant molecular interactions for future computing 05. International study reveals exceptional property of next generation optical fibers 06. Quantum Theory May Twist Cause And Effect Into Loops, With Effect Causing The Cause 07. Breakthrough material can protect satellites from ultraviolet radiation and atomic oxygen in low-Earth orbit 08. Scientists manipulate magnets at the atomic scale 09. A performance leap for graphene modulators in next generation datacom and telecom 10. This robot doesn’t need […]
Blueprint for fault-tolerant qubits
EurekAlert February 18, 2021 The application of active error correction in a quantum computer is very complex and comes with an extensive use of hardware. An international team of researchers (Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands) has proposed a design for a circuit with passive error correction. The circuit is designed in such a way that it is already inherently protected against environmental noise while still controllable. The concept thus bypasses the need for active stabilization in a highly hardware-efficient manner and would therefore be a promising candidate for a future large-scale quantum processor that has many qubits. By implementing a gyrator […]
Breakthrough material can protect satellites from ultraviolet radiation and atomic oxygen in low-Earth orbit
Phys.org February 16, 2021 Atomic oxygen is created when O2 molecules break apart, a process made easier in space because of the abundance of ultraviolet radiation affecting the structural integrity of space structures. An international team of researchers (UK, Germany) has developed a nano-barrier that bonds to the surface of polymer or composite materials, protecting them from erosion in low-Earth orbit without disrupting the functional performance of the space structure. The multilayered protection barrier deposited via a custom-built plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition system is designed to deposit all necessary layers without breaking vacuum to maximize the adhesion to the surface […]
Darpa Hacks Its Secure Hardware, Fends Off Most Attacks
IEEE Spectrum February 16. 2021 Last summer, Darpa asked hackers to take their best shots at a set of newly designed hardware architectures designed under the DARPA System Security Integration Through Hardware and Firmware https://www.darpa.mil/program/ssith (SSITH) program. After 13,000 hours of hacking by 580 cybersecurity researchers only 10 vulnerabilities were found. Seven of the 10 vulnerabilities were deemed critical, according to the Common Vulnerability Scoring System 3.0 standards. Most of those resulted from weaknesses introduced by interactions between the hardware, firmware, and the operating system software…read more.