UCSB physicists detect and control quantum states in diamond with light
2010-10-15
(Press-News.org) (Santa Barbara, Calif.) –– Physicists at UC Santa Barbara have succeeded in combining laser light with trapped electrons to detect and control the electrons' fragile quantum state without erasing it. This is an important step toward using quantum physics to expand computing power and to communicate over long distances without the possibility of eavesdropping. The work appears online today at Science Express.
The research, led by David Awschalom, professor of physics, electrical and computer engineering, and director of UCSB's Center for Spintronics and Quantum Computation, and graduate student Bob Buckley, exploits an unusual property of the microscopic quantum world: the ability to combine things that are very different.
Using electrons trapped in a single atom-sized defect within a thin crystal of diamond, combined with laser light of precisely the right color, the scientists showed that it was possible to briefly form a mixture of light and matter. After forming this light-matter mixture, they were able to use measurements of the light to determine the state of the electrons.
Likewise, by separately examining the electrons, they showed that the electron configuration was not destroyed by the light. Instead, it was modified –– a dramatic demonstration of control over quantum states using light. "Manipulating the quantum state of a single electron in a semiconductor without destroying the information represents an extremely exciting scientific development with potential technological impact," said Awschalom.
Preserving quantum states is a major obstacle in the nascent field of quantum computing. One benefit of quantum information is that it can never be copied, unlike information transferred between today's computers, providing a measure of security that is safeguarded by fundamental laws of nature. The ability to measure a quantum state without destroying it is an important step in the development of technologies that harness the advantages of the quantum world.
Buckley, putting this research in perspective, said: "Diamond may someday become for a quantum computer what silicon is for digital computers today –– the building blocks of logic, memory, and communication. Our experiment provides a new tool to make that happen. "
INFORMATION: END
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
2010-10-15
Little kids believe the darnedest things. For example, that a fat man in a red suit flies through the air on a sleigh pulled by reindeer. A new study on three-year-olds, published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, finds that they aren't just generally trusting. They're particularly trusting of things people say to them.
Previous research has found that three-year-olds are a credulous bunch; they believe most things they're told, and skepticism doesn't kick in until later. Vikram K. Jaswal, of the University of Virginia, ...
2010-10-15
Stem cells, the prodigious precursors of all the tissues in our body, can make almost anything, given the right circumstances. Including, unfortunately, cancer. Now research from Rockefeller University shows that having too many stem cells, or stem cells that live for too long, can increase the odds of developing cancer. By identifying a mechanism that regulates programmed cell death in precursor cells for blood, or hematopoietic stem cells, the work is the first to connect the death of such cells to a later susceptibility to tumors in mice. It also provides evidence of ...
2010-10-15
CHICAGO –For nearly 40 years a class of drugs known as beta blockers have been proven to increase patients' survival prospects following a heart attack by decreasing the cardiac workload and oxygen demand on the heart. In a breakthrough study released in the American Heart Journal, Northwestern Medicine cardiologist Jeffrey J. Goldberger found the majority of patients are frequently not receiving a large enough dose of these drugs, which can put their recovery from heart attacks and overall health into peril.
"Only 46% of patients studied were taking 50% or more of the ...
2010-10-15
NEW YORK -- Water vapor and clouds are the major contributors to Earth's greenhouse effect, but a new atmosphere-ocean climate modeling study shows that the planet's temperature ultimately depends on the atmospheric level of carbon dioxide.
The study, conducted by Andrew Lacis and colleagues at NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York, examined the nature of Earth's greenhouse effect and clarified the role that greenhouse gases and clouds play in absorbing outgoing infrared radiation. Notably, the team identified non-condensing greenhouse gases -- ...
2010-10-15
A potential solution for global energy demands is the use of Poplar, a fast-growing tree with high yields, for biofuels. To get the most out of Poplar plantations, varieties that are the best fit for the conditions—ones with disease resistance or higher yields, for example—are desired. But do these plantations of new, non-native (exotic) species impact nearby native populations of Poplar? In particular, is the genetic makeup of the native populations being altered by interactions with the exotic species?
In the October issue of the American Journal of Botany (http://www.amjbot.org/cgi/reprint/97/10/1688), ...
2010-10-15
Human adhesives are famed for their fallibility. Gooey glues soon lose their grip, are easily contaminated and leave residues behind. But not gecko feet. Geckos can cling on repeatedly to the smoothest surfaces thanks to the self-cleaning microscopic spatula-shaped hairs (setae) that coat the soles of their feet. Back in 2002, Kellar Autumn found that these dry hairs are in such intimate contact with surfaces that the reptiles 'glue' themselves on by van der Waals forces with no need for fluid adhesives. More recent studies had suggested that geckos might benefit from additional ...
2010-10-15
DARIEN, IL – A study in the Oct. 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that adults with fibromyalgia had a much higher prevalence and risk of restless legs syndrome than healthy controls. The study suggests that treating RLS may improve sleep and quality of life in people with fibromyalgia.
Results show that the prevalence of restless legs syndrome was about 10 times higher in the fibromyalgia group (33 percent) than among controls (3.1 percent). After statistical adjustments for potential confounders such as age, gender and ethnicity, participants ...
2010-10-15
This week's PMI (Project Management Institute) Global Congress 2010 in Washington DC marked the official launch of BeMo - Project Intelligence, a specialized online marketplace for Enterprise Project Management (EPM) solutions and related services. BeMo founders Bruno Lecoq and Joel Lachance have created the business to help individuals or companies of any size, manage any and all of their projects online - quickly and easily.
While a few key players like ProjectHosts, EPM Live are already in the burgeoning Microsoft Project Server 2010 hosting market, the BeMo - Project ...
2010-10-15
My911, a SmartPhone application, has recently been marketed to bicyclists, offering them additional safety when things go bad. The app utilizes both the accelerometer and GPS technologies in order to automatically notify an ambulance when the user gets into an accident. One user claimed the app is "like having OnStar on your bike". The GPS location is given to the ambulance, allowing help to come quickly, without requiring any description of where the accident occurred.
If you were biking in the mountains or in some national park, how long would it take to describe to ...
2010-10-15
How can we help?
Our senior home care and caregiver services center around only the best caregivers in the Algonquin, Mount Prospect and the surrounding areas. Home Care services for the Elderly is our specialty and we take the 'art of caregiving' very seriously. Right at Home caregivers focus on helping individuals maintain their independence and dignity while assisting with a variety of everyday tasks including:
âEUR Senior Companionship
âEUR Assistance with personal care including bathing and dressing
âEUR Meal Preparation
âEUR Light Homemaker & Housekeeping ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
[Press-News.org] UCSB physicists detect and control quantum states in diamond with light
