Scientists have made a breakthrough in quantum computing by using a material called chromium sulfide bromide. This substance can store quantum information in a single dimension, which makes it last longer. Chromium sulfide bromide is made up of just a few layers of atoms, like filo pastry.
It can store information in different ways, such as electric charge, photons, magnetism, and even sound vibrations. One special thing about this material is that it can store information using excitons. Excitons are formed when a photon excites an electron, leaving behind a hole.
When the material is cooled below 132 Kelvin (-141 degrees Celsius), the layers become magnetized. Each layer has its magnetic field pointing in the opposite direction to the one next to it. When the material is warmed up above this temperature, the magnetism goes away, and the excitons can move around freely.
But when the material is just one atom thick, the excitons are stuck in a single line. This makes the quantum information last longer because the excitons don’t interfere with each other as much.
Chromium sulfide bromide’s quantum potential
In a recent study, researchers used short bursts of infrared light to create excitons in the material. They then used another laser to give the excitons more energy. This created two different types of excitons.
By changing the angle of the lasers, the researchers could make the excitons line up in a row or spread out in three dimensions. This affected how long the excitons lasted and how they interacted with each other. “The magnetic order is a new tuning knob for shaping excitons and their interactions.
This could be a game changer for future electronics and information technology,” said Professor Rupert Huber, one of the study’s authors. The researchers now want to see if they can turn these excitons into magnetic spin excitations. If they can do this, it could help them exchange quantum information between different particles, like photons, excitons, and electrons.
“The long-term vision is to build quantum devices that use all of these properties: photons to transfer information, electrons to process it, magnetism to store it, and phonons to change it to new frequencies,” said Professor Mackillo Kira, another author of the study. This discovery is an important step forward in making quantum computing more practical and could lead to new advances in quantum technology.
Image Credits: Photo by Hans Reniers on Unsplash
Noah Nguyen is a multi-talented developer who brings a unique perspective to his craft. Initially a creative writing professor, he turned to Dev work for the ability to work remotely. He now lives in Seattle, spending time hiking and drinking craft beer with his fiancee.
