Quantum

As part of the March Xbox Partner Preview, we’ve got a first look at the gameplay of 11 Bit Studio’s The Alters. A game about employing yourself in space. The Alters has you play as a miner named Jan Dolski, who gets stranded on another planet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXaS327cjIc To stay alive, he needs to make use of a base that, unfortunately, requires multiple trained people to run. Conveniently, the planet is also home to a substance called “Rapidium,” which allows Jan to make different versions of himself…

If you’ve ever wondered what quantum computers actually do, you’re not alone. The truth is, no one knows what modern problems this technology can solve. Google launched a multi-year, global competition on Monday to find real-world use cases for quantum computing, and the finalists will split $5 million.No Google AI Search, I Don’t Need to Learn About the “Benefits of Slavery” “While there are many reasons to be optimistic about the potential of quantum computing, we’re still somewhat in the dark about the full scope of…

Schematic representation showing how a graphene layer protects against water. The electrical current flowing along the edge of the topological insulator indenene remains completely unaffected by external influences. Credit: Jörg Bandmann, pixelwgResearchers have developed a groundbreaking protective coating for indenene, a quantum material promising for ultrafast electronics, enabling its use in air without oxidation. This innovation could revolutionize the future of atomic layer electronics.The race to create…

Researchers have developed a groundbreaking light-based processor that enhances the efficiency and scalability of quantum computing and communication. By minimizing light losses, the processor promises significant advancements in secure data transmission and sensing applications. Credit: SciTechDaily.comA team of scientists has created a reprogrammable light-based quantum processor, reducing light losses and enabling advancements in quantum computing and secure communications.Scientists have created a reprogrammable…

An artist’s rendering of nitrogen vacancy centers in a diamond anvil cell, which can detect the expulsion of magnetic fields by a high-pressure superconductor. Credit: Ella MarushchenkoHarvard scientists have made a significant advance in high-pressure physics by creating a tool that directly images superconducting materials under extreme conditions, facilitating new discoveries in the field of superconducting hydrides.Hydrogen (like many of us) acts weird under pressure. Theory predicts that when crushed by the weight of…

Highly precise optical absorption spectra of diamond reveal ultra-fine splitting. Credit: KyotoU/Nobuko NakaHighly precise optical absorption spectra of diamond reveal ultra-fine splitting.Besides being “a girl’s best friend,” diamonds have broad industrial applications, such as in solid-state electronics. New technologies aim to produce high-purity synthetic crystals that become excellent semiconductors when doped with impurities as electron donors or acceptors of other elements.The Science of DopingThese extra electrons…

How scientists are using quantum squeezing to push the limits of their sensors When two black holes spiral inward and collide, they shake the very fabric of space, producing ripples in space-time that can travel for hundreds of millions of light-years. Since 2015, scientists have been observing these so-called gravitational waves to help them study fundamental questions about the cosmos, including the origin of heavy elements such as gold and the rate at which the universe is expanding.  But detecting gravitational…

LIGO has confirmed 90 gravitational wave detections so far, but physicists want to detect more, which will require making the experiment even more sensitive. And that is a challenge.  “The struggle of these detectors is that every time you try to improve them, you actually can make things worse, because they are so sensitive,” says Lisa Barsotti, a physicist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Nevertheless, Barsotti and her colleagues recently pushed past this challenge, creating a device that will allow…

Stanford University’s research team has made a significant breakthrough in quantum technology by improving niobium-based qubits to match leading alternatives. This advancement highlights niobium’s potential to operate at higher temperatures and wider ranges, opening new possibilities for quantum computing. Credit: SciTechDaily.comExpanding possibilities for superconducting qubits.For years, niobium was considered an underperformer when it came to superconducting qubits. Now scientists supported by Q-NEXT have found a way…

Researchers at Paderborn University have pioneered a method using photon detectors for homodyne detection to characterize optical quantum states accurately. This technique is vital for advancing quantum information processing and quantum computing. Credit: SciTechDaily.comScientists achieve breakthrough in quantum optics with photon detector-based method, paving the way for improved quantum computing.Scientists at Paderborn University have used a new method to determine the characteristics of optical, i.e. light-based,…