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Japan’s first full-stack neutral-atom quantum computer “Shunkai” is operational

Shunkai, developed by Professor Kenji Ohmori's team, integrates multiple layers for practical quantum computing, overcoming scalability and error correction challenges. The system uses 50 qubits initially, with plans to expand to 500 qubits, and will be partially open to external users for application development and demonstration.

SourceNational Institutes of Natural Sciences·TypeExperimental study·DateAug 23, 2026

Using a single atom as a “camera” - visualization of light intensity and polarization beyond the resolution limit of optical microscopes -

Researchers use a single rubidium atom trapped in an optical tweezer as a scanning probe to image fine structures of light patterns with spatial resolution surpassing the diffraction limit. The technique successfully visualizes both light intensity and polarization distributions at the nanoscale.

SourceNational Institutes of Natural Sciences·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 29, 2026

Discovery of a new superfluid phase in non-Hermitian quantum systems

Researchers at Institute of Science Tokyo have discovered a stable superfluid that inherently hosts singularities known as exceptional points. The study reveals how dissipation can stabilize this unique superfluid phase, which features a finite order parameter and emerges deep inside a strongly interacting phase.

SourceInstitute of Science Tokyo·JournalPhysical Review Letters·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateJan 12, 2026

Innovative techniques enable Italy’s first imaging of individual trapped atoms

Researchers at the University of Trieste and CNR-INO have achieved the first imaging of individual trapped ytterbium atoms in Italy. By combining intense fluorescence pulses with fast re-cooling, they demonstrated record-speed imaging of individual atoms, enabling precise onsite atom counting and advancing quantum computing applications.

SourceCNR-INO·JournalPhysical Review Letters·TypeExperimental study·DateDec 23, 2025

Cooling positronium with lasers

Positronium, an exotic atom composed of an electron and a positron, has been cooled to just 1 degree above absolute zero. This achievement could aid in studying the properties of antimatter and potentially unlock secrets of the universe.

SourceUniversity of Tokyo·JournalNature·TypeExperimental study·DateSep 11, 2024

A new type of cooling for quantum simulators

A new technique has been developed to cool quantum simulators, allowing for more stable experiments and better insights into quantum effects. By splitting a Bose-Einstein condensate in a specific way, researchers can reduce temperature fluctuations and enhance the performance of quantum simulators.

SourceVienna University of Technology·JournalPhysical Review X·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 27, 2024

Positronium laser cooling

Researchers successfully cooled positronium atoms to record-low temperatures of 170 K, significantly reducing their transverse velocity component. This achievement has far-reaching implications for precision spectroscopy and the study of quantum electrodynamics.

SourcePolitecnico di Milano·JournalPhysical Review Letters·TypeObservational study·DateFeb 27, 2024

Self-correcting quantum computers within reach?

A Harvard team has successfully developed a self-correcting quantum computer using neutral atom arrays, achieving near-flawless performance with extremely low error rates. The breakthrough enables the creation of large-scale, error-corrected devices based on neutral atoms.

SourceHarvard University·JournalNature·TypeExperimental study·DateOct 12, 2023

NIST demonstrates a new ‘primary standard’ for measuring ultralow pressures

Scientists at NIST have validated a new approach to measuring extremely low gas pressures, called CAVS, which can serve as a primary standard. This technique uses a cold gas of trapped atoms to measure pressure and has been shown to be accurate and reliable for a wide range of applications.

SourceNational Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)·JournalAVS Quantum Science·TypeExperimental study·DateAug 10, 2023

Multifunctional interface enables manipulation of light waves in free space

Researchers at the University of Washington have developed a multifunctional interface between photonic integrated circuits and free space, allowing for simultaneous manipulation of multiple light beams. The device operates with high accuracy and reliability, enabling applications in quantum computing, sensing, imaging, energy, and more.

SourceSPIE--International Society for Optics and Photonics·JournalAdvanced Photonics Nexus·DateMay 24, 2023

Princeton researchers reveal microscopic quantum correlations of ultracold molecules

Princeton researchers have achieved a major breakthrough by microscopically studying molecular gases at a level never before achieved. The team cooled molecules to ultracold temperatures, observed individual molecules with high spatial resolution, and detected subtle quantum correlations, opening up new avenues for many-body physics re...

SourcePrinceton University·JournalNature·TypeExperimental study·DateFeb 1, 2023

Researchers succeeded in developing a light source that produced two entangled light beams

Scientists successfully created a light source that produced two entangled light beams using rubidium atoms. The entanglement was achieved by adding new detection steps to measure the quantum correlations in the amplitudes and phases of the fields generated, enabling applications in quantum computing, encryption, and metrology.

A drop in the sea of electrons

Scientists at Swinburne University of Technology and FLEET collaborators observe and explain signatures of Fermi polaron interactions in atomically-thin WS2 using ultrafast spectroscopy. Repulsive forces arise from phase-space filling, while attractive forces lead to cooperatively bound exciton-exciton-electron states.

SourceARC Centre of Excellence in Future Low-Energy Electronics Technologies·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateOct 19, 2022

A molecule of light and matter

Researchers at Vienna University of Technology have measured the binding state of light and matter for the first time, creating an attractive force between ultracold atoms. This effect can be used to control and manipulate extreme temperatures and may also play a role in the formation of molecules in space.

SourceVienna University of Technology·JournalPhysical Review X·TypeExperimental study·DateAug 1, 2022

A mirror tracks a tiny particle

Researchers at the University of Innsbruck developed a new technique to track levitated nanoparticles with improved precision. By using the reflected light of a mirror, they outperformed state-of-the-art detection methods and opened up new possibilities for nanoparticle-based sensing applications.

SourceUniversity of Innsbruck·JournalPhysical Review Letters·TypeExperimental study·DateJun 29, 2022

Rice lab’s quantum simulator delivers new insight

Physicists at Rice University have created a quantum simulator that reveals the behavior of electrons in one-dimensional wires, shedding light on spin-charge separation. The study's findings have implications for quantum computing and electronics with atom-scale wires.

SourceRice University·JournalScience·TypeExperimental study·DateJun 16, 2022

A new way to control atomic interactions

The researchers created treelike shapes, a Möbius strip, and other patterns by controlling atomic interactions without physically moving the atoms. They demonstrated nonlocal interactions, where atoms at distant ends interact just as strongly as those near each other.

SourceStanford University·JournalNature·DateFeb 28, 2022

The quantum refrigerator

Researchers at TU Wien have invented a new cooling concept that combines thermodynamics and quantum physics to break low-temperature records. By using quantum effects to cool a cloud of ultracold atoms, they achieved temperatures closer to absolute zero than ever before.

SourceVienna University of Technology·JournalPRX Quantum·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateJul 28, 2021

Physicist Jean Dalibard awarded the 2021 CNRS gold medal

Physicist Jean Dalibard is recognized for his exceptional contributions to the dynamism and influence of French research, particularly in quantum technologies. He has made major contributions to the emergence of quantum technologies by developing sources for atoms cooled and trapped by light,.

SourceCNRS·DateJun 24, 2021

Laser-based prototype probes cold atom dynamics

Researchers develop a new industrial laser system to study cold atom dynamics in space. By doubling the frequencies of widely used telecommunications lasers, their design enables accurate measurements of subtle variations in the Earth's gravitational field.

SourceSpringer·JournalThe European Physical Journal D·DateDec 16, 2019

Colder and colder

Researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science have created a novel method for cooling ions using electrostatic fields, allowing them to reach temperatures near absolute zero. This breakthrough enables the study of large biological molecules and nanoparticles, with potential applications in medicine and materials science.

SourceWeizmann Institute of Science·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateSep 18, 2017

'Quantum leap' for Liverpool

Physicists from the University of Liverpool have made a significant breakthrough in probing the 'dark content' of the universe using a novel experiment based on quantum interferometry. The experiment relies on ultra-cold atoms and could have far-reaching applications in navigation, gravity scanning, and understanding dark energy.

Subnatural-linewidth biphotons generated from a Doppler-broadened hot atomic vapor cell

Researchers at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology have developed a method to produce subnatural-linewidth biphotons from a Doppler-broadened hot atomic vapor cell. This breakthrough simplifies the production process and enables the creation of narrowband biphotons for practical quantum applications.

SourceHong Kong University of Science and Technology·JournalNature Communications·DateOct 19, 2016

Disorderly conduct

Researchers examine relationship between disorder and quantum coherence in materials, finding that a pinch of disorder is good but too much can destroy coherence. The Joint Quantum Institute experiment uses laser beams to introduce slight disorder into rubidium atoms, revealing how it affects their behavior.

SourceJoint Quantum Institute·JournalNew Journal of Physics·DateJul 19, 2012

Super cool atom thermometer

Researchers create a thermometer capable of measuring temperatures as low as tens of trillionths of a degree above absolute zero. By leveraging the magnetization of atoms in a magnetic field, scientists were able to extract temperature information from easily measurable properties.

SourceAmerican Physical Society·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateDec 7, 2009