Quantum technological advancement could help improve computing, data processing

Stop! In the name of quantum science and engineering.

The familiar refrain relates to a new realization of quantum technology, an emerging field of research that seeks to exploit the unique properties of atoms and subatomic particles.

A research team led by a University in Buffalo has developed a "traffic light" capable of stopping quantum waves. Advancement could be the key to harnessing the potential of the atomic world, eventually leading to breakthroughs in the fields of computer science, medicine, cryptography, materials science and engineering. other applications.

"This is a field of research of utmost importance," says Jon Bird, Ph.D., electrical engineer at UB, co-author of a study recently published in the journal Letters of physical examination which describes the work mentioned above.

Bird is Professor and Director of the Department of Electrical Engineering at the UB School of Engineering and Applied Science. Jong Han, Ph.D., professor of physics at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, is the co-principal author.

Additional authors are from Bird and Han Laboratories, as well as the Center for Integrated Nanotechnology from Sandia National Laboratories and the Korea Institute for Advanced Study.

The mystery of electrons

Although electrons are well known to schoolchildren, researchers are still trying to understand why these subatomic particles behave as they do, while finding new ways to manipulate them.

In the study, the team "used the very atoms that make up the crystalline structure of the semiconductor materials studied, either to prevent the passage of electrons or to allow them to pass freely, thus creating a" traffic light " for these quantum technologies, we "shake" these atoms in a controllable way, applying small electrical signals to our devices, "says Bird.

The researchers isolated a specially constructed nanoconductor at an extremely cold temperature – minus 273 degrees Celsius. Under such conditions, in this ultra-thin device, the electrons have an undulating nature.

In other words, they behave more like ripples on the surface of a pond than by point particles, often described as billiard-shaped objects that move in straight lines.

"Just like light or waves in the ocean, these quantum waves can behave unexpectedly for particles, they can bend at angles, for example, and the challenge is to develop techniques to control them or guide them, "says Han.

As part of this study, UB researchers achieved this by applying a small amount of tension to the driver, allowing it to shake its atoms in a controllable manner. As the atoms were made to tremble louder, they provided a greater source of resistance to quantum waves, which prevented the waves from passing through the conductor.

"This is what we call quantum dot contact. You can think of it as a traffic light. Only instead of stopping cars at an intersection, we have demonstrated our ability to control the transmission of electronic waves in a confined system by shaking from the outside. the atoms in this system, "says Han.

Much more powerful computers

The ability to control subatomic particles such as electrons and photons is essential for the development of quantum technologies, especially quantum computers.

Traditional computers process information, or bits, in binary code, which means that they store data and perform calculations by assigning values ​​of "one" or "zero". Quantum computers, developed by IBM, Google, and others, work with "qubits" that can represent both zeros and zeros.

In theory, this approach could lead to much more powerful computers than those that currently exist. This in turn would create significant economic and national security benefits.

UB-led research provides a fundamental implementation of the techniques needed to control quantum waves at the microscopic scale, thus allowing these technological advances to become a possibility, Bird said.