Cryostat used to achieve temperatures down to 20 millikelvin. Source: HZDR/Jürgen Jeibmann

An exotic interplay of electrons

Water that simply will not freeze, no matter how cold it gets — a research group has discovered a quantum state that could be described in this way. Experts have managed to cool a special material to near absolute zero temperature. They found that a central property of atoms — their alignment — did not ‘freeze’, as usual, but remained in a ‘liquid’ state. The new quantum material could serve as a model system to develop novel, highly sensitive quantum sensors.

The basic idea is to achieve quantum control through the application of the AI agent (left). For instance, to cool the quantum ball (red) down to the bottom of the well in presence of environmental noises, the AI controller, which is based on reinforcement learning, would identify intelligent control pulses (middle polar graph).

Pulses driven by artificial intelligence tame quantum systems

It’s easy to control the trajectory of a basketball: all we have to do is apply mechanical force coupled with human skill. But controlling the movement of quantum systems such as atoms and electrons is much more challenging, as these minuscule scraps of matter often fall prey to perturbations that knock them off their path in unpredictable ways. Movement within the system degrades — a process called damping — and noise from environmental effects such as temperature also disturbs its trajectory.

Results of geometry optimizations for H2 molecule. Geometry optimizations with various initial values of the H–H interatomic distance revealed that the calculation quickly converges to the equilibrium bond length within 10 iterations, no matter which interatomic distance is used to start the calculation.

Quantum algorithm of the direct calculation of energy derivatives developed for molecular geometry optimization

Researchers have successfully extended the quantum phase difference estimation algorithm, a general quantum algorithm for the direct calculations of energy gaps, to enable the direct calculation of energy differences between two different molecular geometries. This allows for the computation, based on the finite difference method, of energy derivatives with respect to nuclear coordinates in a single calculation.

Quantum algorithms save time in the calculation of electron dynamics

Quantum Algorithms Break Ground in Molecular Computation

Quantum computers promise significantly shorter computing times for complex problems. But there are still only a few quantum computers worldwide with a limited number of so-called qubits. However, quantum computer algorithms can already run on conventional servers that simulate a quantum computer. A team has succeeded in calculating the electron orbitals and their dynamic development using an example of a small molecule after a laser pulse excitation.

The second challenge. Stills from the video captured using “cinematic chemistry” of the blue quantum dot, including an illustration showing the atomic arrangement of the sample. ©2022 Nakamura et al.

New blue quantum dot technology for more energy-efficient displays

Researchers at the University of Tokyo have developed highly efficient blue quantum dots using a novel bottom-up, self-organizing chemical approach, solving a critical challenge in display technology while requiring advanced “cinematic chemistry” imaging techniques to visualize the precisely structured 2.4-nanometer nanocrystals.

An artist's impression of a quantum microscope for study of chemical reactions and to identify molecular origin. Credit: Dr Mehran Kianinia

Australian Team Unveils Revolutionary Quantum Microscope

Australian scientists have developed a groundbreaking quantum microscope that uses atomically thin hexagonal boron nitride layers instead of traditional bulky crystals, enabling unprecedented imaging of electric currents, magnetic fields, and single molecules while simultaneously mapping temperature distributions under ambient conditions.

Colloidal quantum dots with truncated cube shape and their original ligands (organic molecules) assembling into an ordered superlattice after the ligand exchange. | Illustration Jacopo Pinna

Breakthrough in Quantum Dot Metamaterials

Researchers at the University of Groningen led by Professor Maria Antonietta Loi have successfully created a highly conductive optoelectronic metamaterial by developing a method for quantum dots to self-organize into a three-dimensional superlattice that maintains their unique optical characteristics while achieving unprecedented electron mobility.

The team led by Wolfgang Lechner (right): Kilian Ender, Anette Messinger and Michael Fellner (from left).

New form of universal quantum computers

Computing power of quantum machines is currently still very low. Increasing it is still proving to be a major challenge. Physicists now present a new architecture for a universal quantum computer that overcomes such limitations and could be the basis of the next generation of quantum computers soon.

Schematics of the proposed ion-electron hybrid quantum systems involving a trapped electron Scientists from the University of Tokyo invented a way to cool down and measure the motion of a trapped electron in the quantum regime using hybrid quantum systems. Credit: Alto Osada, The University of Tokyo

Advance brings quantum computing one step closer to implementation

Researchers at the University of Tokyo developed two hybrid quantum systems—an electron-superconducting circuit and an electron-ion coupled system—that successfully demonstrated control over trapped electrons’ temperature and movement, potentially solving key limitations in qubit stability for quantum computing.

The micro-ring resonator, shown here as a closed loop, generated high-dimensional photon pairs. Researchers examined these photons by manipulating the phases of different frequencies, or colors, of light and mixing frequencies, as shown by the crisscrossed multicolor lines. Credit: Yun-Yi Pai/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

New measurements quantifying qudits provide glimpse of quantum future

A research team has developed an efficient method to measure high-dimensional qudits (advanced versions of qubits that can hold more information and are more noise-resistant) encoded in quantum frequency combs on a single optical chip, marking a significant advancement for quantum networks and communication systems.

Physicists Silke Bühler-Paschen (left) of Vienna University of Technology and Qimiao Si of Rice University at Rice in November 2021. (Photo by Tommy LaVergne/Rice University)

Physicists use ‘electron correlations’ to control topological materials

Physicists have discovered how to switch topological states on and off in a strongly correlated metal using magnetic fields, a breakthrough made possible by the collective behavior of electrons that dramatically amplifies the material’s response to external magnetic fields and could enable new applications in quantum computing and sensor technology.

Conceptual render displaying the difference between a structured laser beam (magenta) and a two-photon quantum state of light being focused on a single mode fibre. Photo: Markus Hiekkamäki / Tampere University.

Quantum Light Reveals New Path for Precision Measurements

researchers at Tampere University discovered that quantum light behaves differently from classical light when focused, exhibiting an accelerated Gouy phase anomaly that not only contributes to the ongoing debate about fundamental optical phenomena but also promises enhanced precision in distance measurements.

Full control of a six-qubit quantum processor in silicon

Full control of a six-qubit quantum processor in silicon

Researchers have engineered a record number of six, silicon-based, spin qubits in a fully interoperable array. Importantly, the qubits can be operated with a low error-rate that is achieved with a new chip design, an automated calibration procedure, and new methods for qubit initialization and readout.

Zurich Instruments SHFPPC Parametric Pump Controller

Zurich Instruments introduces qubit amplifier controller

Zurich Instruments offers Quantum Computing researchers a fast track to unleashing the power of parametric amplification for qubit readout. While being critical to achieve the high measurement speed and low error rates needed for quantum […]

A particle of light from the single photon source (below) is stored in the vapor cell (above). A simultaneously emitted second photon is revealed by a detector (right), which triggers the control laser pulse and thereby initiates the storage process. (Image: Department of Physics/University of Basel)

Quantum network nodes with warm atoms

Physicists at the University of Basel, Switzerland, have now developed a network node for quantum communication networks that can store single photons in a vapor cell and pass them on later. In quantum communication networks, […]

EPFL scientists have built a compact waveguide amplifier by successfully incorporating rare-earth ions into integrated photonic circuits.

Breakthrough in integrated photonics

Scientists at EPFL, Switzerland, have built a compact waveguide amplifier by successfully incorporating rare-earth ions into integrated photonic circuits. The device produces record output power compared to commercial fiber amplifiers, a first in the development […]

ORCA Computing: a new Quantum Computer in the UK

ORCA Computing is working with the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to develop future data processing capabilities. In a year-long programme of activity, MoD will use ORCA’s PT-1 model, the first computer of its kind […]

QC Ware logo

Covestro and QC Ware develop quantum algorithms for materials R&D

Covestro, one of the world’s leading polymer companies, and QC Ware have announced the signing of a five-year collaboration agreement. The objective of the collaboration is to help prepare Covestro to fully deploy quantum algorithms for the discovery of new materials […]

Controlling the Waveform of Ultrashort Infrared Pulses

Ultrashort infrared light pulses are the key to a wide range of technological applications. The oscillating infrared light field can excite molecules in a sample to vibrate at specific frequencies, or drive ultrafast electric currents […]