Research Quantum Behavior Uses Laser To Record Electron’s

Researchers say they have come up with a new way to control the behavior of an electron at the quantum mechanical level, this could have tremendous implications for quantum computing and information processing. In a research headed by the University of Chicago, scientists used ultra fast pulses of laser light to control the quantum state of electrons contained in nano-scale defects in a diamond, and observed changes in the electron over a period of time.

The researchers focused on a quantum mechanical property of electrons called spin. Similarly to how computers hold data either in binary 1s or 0s. In the charge state of an electron, a quantum based computer, spin states of electrons would represent a quantum bit (qubit). The online journal Science Express reported that at the center of the research is a quantum spin system (explained above), known as a nitrogen vacancy center. This is an atomic scale defect found naturally in the structure of diamonds.

“These defects have garnered great interest over the past decade, providing a test-bed system for developing semiconductor quantum bits as well as nanos-cale sensors,” says research head David Awschalom, a molecular engineering professor at Chicago. “Here, we were able to harness light to completely control the quantum state of this defect at extremely high speeds.”

The researchers were able to light up an NV with two pulses of light from a laser. The quantum state of the bound electron in the defect is characteristically excited by the first pulse and somehow stopped by the second. Apparently the time scale between the two pulses is crucial since the electron interacts with its surroundings in a characteristic way which is determined by that time-scale. The researchers explained that testing the NV with a wide number of different pulse timescales could reveal information about the dynamics of the NV center in ways like never before.

The findings could lead to various uses in quantum computing, moving beyond the mere observation of quantum states to controlling materials at the atomic level.

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Deborah Campbell

Deborah Campbell grew up on a steady diet of fantasy stories, 19th century poetry and Greek mythology. It’s no wonder she turned into such a hopeless romantic. She has always had a knack for writing, but she has yet to publish any best-seller yet. At the beginning of 2013 she decided to try something a little different: she started working for a web design firm, as a creative artist. That’s where she discovered her second calling. Although seemingly opposite, fantasy and technology are Deborah’s two main passions. She is now part of the argyllfreepress.com team, for which she creates detailed tutorials & reviews for some of the world’s most exciting gadgets. She also tries to squeeze a verse or two in her reviews from time to time.