Researchers at the Max Planck Institute have made a breakthrough in manipulating the motion of quantum-entangled electrons, paving the way for faster and more powerful quantum computing.
Quantum Entanglement Unveiled
In quantum physics, particles such as electrons can be in multiple states at the same time — a phenomenon called superposition. This phenomenon is what quantum computing is all about. it’s called quantum “entanglement”.
Now, researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg have achieved an important step in deciphering and manipulating such quantum-entangled states which were so far subject to our intuition.…. With a sequence of ultrashort laser pulses, they are able to control the motion of electron pairs in hydrogen molecules and thus the net electronic current.
This allowed the scientists to determine when exactly the laser pulses would hit and even control whether if released, one of these electrons would move in a bound orbit or be ejected. Control at this precision level on the attosecond (one-billionth of a billionth of a second) time-scale is an outstanding achievement and could provide new opportunities for building quantum computers.
Light Warms up Quantum Computing
Quantum computing, in theory at least, has the potential to massively outperform classical computers for particular tasks because they can tap into aspects of quantum mechanics. Classical computers store and process information as a binary bit that can only be 0 or 1. Quantum computers, on the other hand, make qubits work with superposition of 0 and 1 simultaneously.
As a result, it can perform many computations in parallel, leading to much faster operation for some kinds of calculations. But this advantage comes with a penalty: the quantum states we use to do our computations are highly delicate and can easily become noised up and garbled in what we call decoherence.
Max planck institute breakthroughResearchers at the Max Planck Institute. In essence, they have demonstrated the control of quantum-entangled states for electrons in an ultrafast timeframe that could be crucial to making quantum computing more reliable and efficient. If successful, such a development might produce a step-change in the speed and reliability of quantum information processing (potentially unlocking new doors in advanced cryptography, material science, drug discovery,…).
Conclusion
Being able to do the above is quite an impressive feat, but even more exciting to physicists for whom this challenge is second nature (they have long wanted to control qubits): controlling quantum-entangled states of electrons on an ultrashort time scale. Through revealing the secrets of these basic quantum dynamics, the scientists now have a foundation to build upon towards more robust and efficient quantum information processing using pseudospin-based systems — offering the potential for unprecedented discoveries in science and technology.
