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Device could jumpstart work toward quantum internet

Device could jumpstart work toward quantum internet

Technology News |
By Wisse Hettinga



Researchers at MIT and the University of Cambridge have built and tested an exquisitely small device that could allow the quick, efficient flow of quantum information over large distances

From the phys.org article:

Key to the device is a “microchiplet” made of diamond in which some of the diamond’s carbon atoms are replaced with atoms of tin. The team’s experiments indicate that the device, consisting of waveguides for the light to carry the quantum information, solves a paradox that has stymied the arrival of large, scalable quantum networks.

Quantum information in the form of quantum bits, or qubits, is easily disrupted by environmental noise, like magnetic fields, that destroys the information. So on one hand, it’s desirable to have qubits that don’t interact strongly with the environment. On the other hand, however, those qubits need to strongly interact with the light, or photons, key to carrying the information over distances.

The MIT and Cambridge researchers allow both by co-integrating two different kinds of qubits that work in tandem to save and transmit information. Further, the team reports high efficiencies in the transfer of that information.

“This is a critical step as it demonstrates the feasibility of integrating electronic and nuclear qubits in a microchiplet. This integration addresses the need to preserve quantum information over long distances while maintaining strong interaction with photons. This was possible through the combination of the strengths of the University of Cambridge and MIT teams,” says Dirk Englund, an associate professor in MIT’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) and leader of the MIT team. Englund is also affiliated with MIT’s Materials Research Laboratory.

Professor Mete Atatüre, leader of the Cambridge team, says, “The results are an outcome of a strong collaborative effort between the two research teams over the years. It is great to see the combination of theoretical prediction, device fabrication, and the implementation of novel quantum optical controls all in one work.”

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