Model of a quantum tornado in momentum space. (think-design/Jochen Thamm)Physicists in Germany have demonstrated that electron inertia can create "tornadoes" inside a quantum semimetal, revealing a new layer of complexity in electron motion.Electrons rarely stay still, and their movements can take unexpected forms. In tantalum arsenide, a quantum material, researchers found that electrons form vortices—not...
Credit: PixabayResearchers have found a way to preserve quantum properties in 3D materials using magnetic confinement. By stabilizing excitons—energy-carrying quasiparticles—through the magnetic properties of chromium sulfide bromide, they address a major challenge in quantum technology.Quantum effects typically only work at small scales, making them hard to apply in real-world systems like quantum computers. However,...
Credit PixabayQuantum computing advances rapidly thanks to qubits—the building blocks of these systems. Among these, superconducting qubits promise scalability but rely on electrical signals, which pose scaling challenges.However, physicists at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) have now developed a fully optical readout for superconducting qubits, as published in Nature Physics....
Credit: PixabayElectrons forced through a maze of twisted carbon layers behave in unexpected ways. Researchers from the University of British Columbia, the University of Washington, Johns Hopkins University, and Japan’s National Institute for Materials Science have discovered a strange new state of matter in graphene’s electrical currents.Their findings confirm predictions about electron behavior in...
Can quantum systems become more disordered, as thermodynamics would predict? Yes, they can – if a proper definition of “entropy” is used. Credit: TU WienResearchers at TU Wien have resolved a long-standing paradox in quantum entropy, proving that even in isolated quantum systems, disorder naturally increases, aligning quantum mechanics with thermodynamics.The second law of...
(mycan/Getty Images)A team from the University of Science and Technology of China tested a quantum paradox by measuring light in 37 dimensions, exploring the Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) paradox. Their findings provide insights into quantum phenomena and technologies, revealing how difficult it is for our brains to understand the universe’s workings. While local realism predicts a...
Filtering spin with a helix. Credit: Angela WittmannElectrons are primarily known for their negative charge, which drives electric currents, but they also possess spin—a magnetic property with vast potential for advancing data storage technology. However, effectively controlling electron spin remains a challenge.Harnessing Spin Through Ferromagnetic Materials and Chiral MoleculesOne common method to align electron...
Hacking a 50-bit RSA key is so easy you could do it with your cell phone in secondsRecent headlines claim Chinese researchers used D-Wave quantum computers to hack RSA, AES, and "military-grade encryption." This is both true and misleading.A May 2024 white paper in the Chinese Journal of Computers details how researchers used D-Wave's...
Laboratory Experimental Configuration. Credit: SAOT Max GmelchThe quantum ground state of an acoustic wave, achieved through complete system cooling, presents a significant advancement in bridging classical and quantum mechanics. By minimizing the number of acoustic phonons, disturbances to quantum measurements are reduced, paving the way for transformative applications.Breakthrough in Cooling Sound WavesRecent research by...
