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In my work as a quantum engineer, I wear two hats. At the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in London, where this photo was taken in April, I research quantum metrology, the scientific study of measurements based on the principles of quantum physics. The instrument in this picture is a dilution refrigerator, which allows us to cool our quantum semiconductor devices to 0.007 Kelvin: it is a fraction of a degree above absolute zero (-273.15 ° C), a temperature which, in nature, does not exist anywhere in the Universe.
In experiments at the NPL, we synchronize the transfer of single electrons so precisely that I know exactly how many of them move in a unit of time. By controlling the electrons one at a time in this refrigerator system, I can generate an electric current very, very precisely. This level of control is useful for my research at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, UK, where my colleagues and I are developing quantum computers using semiconductor technology. By moving electrons one by one, we can transfer information between different parts of a solid-state quantum computer.
Quantum computing uses quantum bits, or qubits, which can exist simultaneously in different states. This means that quantum computers can perform certain calculations exponentially faster than classical computers. They can also simulate chemical reactions because they operate on the same quantum principles that govern the interactions between atoms and individual molecules.
The idea that something can be in two states or in two places at the same time is counterintuitive. I feel that I myself am experiencing a contradiction. I study quantum physics – the most unreliable, scary, and bizarre type of science – and apply it to metrology, which is said to be one of the most reliable, accurate, and repeatable disciplines. It is mind boggling to think of how these two things combine successfully.
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