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Cardiff takes a step towards quantum computing

Researchers at Cardiff University have successfully conducted experiments with photons, showing that pairs increase oscillation frequency and agreeing with theoretical predictions. The findings have long-term implications for information technology, including the potential to build logical systems based on quantum interactions.

SourceCardiff University·JournalNature Materials·DateApr 19, 2010

From a classical laser to a 'quantum laser'

Researchers at the University of Innsbruck successfully created a single-atom laser, demonstrating both classical and quantum mechanical properties. The experiment showed that by tuning the coupling between the atom and cavity mode, stimulated emission could be achieved despite the atom's weak amplification ability.

SourceUniversity of Innsbruck·JournalNature Physics·DateMar 31, 2010

Photons led astray

Researchers at Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light have demonstrated that quantum particles can take both possible paths simultaneously in a random walk, leading to interference patterns and increased intensity at the edges. This breakthrough could provide new insights into statistical processes like photosynthesis.

SourceMax-Planck-Gesellschaft·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateFeb 16, 2010

Physicists play Lego with photons

Researchers at the University of Calgary have successfully stacked up to two photons on top of one another using quantum entanglement, enabling the creation of various quantum states of light. This achievement brings physicists closer to developing new capabilities in measurement instruments, computers, and secure communication systems.

SourceUniversity of Calgary·JournalNature Photonics·DateFeb 14, 2010

A solid case of entanglement

Researchers have successfully demonstrated quantum entanglement in solid-state devices, a breakthrough that could enable faster and more secure computing. The experiment uses electrons in a superconductor to create entangled pairs, which can be used to enhance computing performance and secure data transmission.

SourceAmerican Physical Society·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateJan 11, 2010

UA scientists discover quantum fingerprints of chaos

Researchers at the University of Arizona have performed experiments that show classical chaos exists in the quantum world, revealing new signatures of chaos and entanglement. The team manipulated individual laser-cooled cesium atoms to mimic a textbook example of chaos, demonstrating dynamic stability and erratic behavior.

SourceUniversity of Arizona·JournalNature·DateOct 7, 2009

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev develops thin films showing promise for solar applications

Scientists at Ben-Gurion University have developed thin films that demonstrate carrier multiplication, a process that can enhance solar cell efficiency. The breakthrough, published in Nature Physics, shows that bulk PbS and PbSe films exhibit more efficient carrier multiplication than nanocrystalline films of the same materials.

Light sensor breakthrough could enhance digital cameras

Researchers at the University of Toronto have developed a new light sensor that can generate multiple excitons per photon, breaking conventional limitations in semiconductor devices. This breakthrough has the potential to significantly improve the sensitivity and efficiency of digital cameras, leading to better low-light picture quality.

SourceUniversity of Toronto·JournalScience·DateJun 18, 2009

Theorists reveal path to true muonium

Theoretical work by SLAC researchers reveals two methods for detecting true muonium's formation and decay in electron-positron accelerators. These methods use relativistic effects to create a stable signature, making observation of the exotic atom feasible. The discovery has the potential to reveal new forms of matter.

SourceDOE/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateMay 29, 2009

Ghost remains after black hole eruption

Astronomers observe a high-energy apparition, known as an X-ray ghost, lingering around a supermassive black hole in the Chandra Deep Field-North. The source, HDF 130, is 10 billion light years away and existed 3 billion years after the Big Bang.

SourceChandra X-ray Center·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateMay 28, 2009

New system for detection of single atoms

Researchers have developed a new technique to detect individual neutral atoms, which is more accurate and sensitive than previous methods. The system uses a novel means of altering laser light polarization to 'see' the scattered photons, allowing for real-time detection with a speed of less than one-millionth of a second.

SourceUniversity of Maryland·JournalNature Physics·DateMay 17, 2009

Quantum teleportation between distant matter qubits

Researchers at the University of Maryland and the University of Michigan have teleported quantum information directly from one atom to another over a substantial distance. They achieved this feat by entangling the quantum states of two individual ytterbium ions, allowing for the transfer of information without physical medium.

SourceUniversity of Maryland·JournalScience·DateJan 22, 2009

Novel technique for fluorescence tomography of tumors in living animals

Researchers developed a novel technique called Early Photon Tomography (EPT) to image lung tumors in living mice. EPT combines early arriving photons with tomographic principles, resulting in sharper and more accurate images compared to conventional methods.

NIST 'stress tests' probe nanoscale strains in materials

Researchers at NIST have demonstrated a way to measure low levels of stress in semiconductor devices as small as 10 nanometers across. By combining two techniques - electron back scattered diffraction and confocal Raman microscopy - they resolved the long-standing disagreement between two widely used methods of stress measurement.

SourceNational Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)·JournalApplied Physics Letters·DateNov 25, 2008

Firing photons makes advance in space communication

Researchers have successfully fired photons back and forth between a space satellite and a ground-based station, demonstrating the possibility of a secure quantum communication channel. The achievement marks an important step towards global communication via satellites using quantum mechanics.

SourceIOP Publishing·JournalNew Journal of Physics·DateMar 28, 2008

Silicon chips for optical quantum technologies

A team of physicists and engineers at the University of Bristol demonstrated control of single particles of light on a silicon chip, a crucial step towards a super-powerful quantum computer. The controlled-NOT gate, the building block of a quantum computer, was achieved with high-fidelity operation.

SourceUniversity of Bristol·JournalScience·DateMar 27, 2008

IBM reports milestone in silicon nanophotonics

Researchers from IBM, Kyoto University, Northwestern, and the University of New Mexico have achieved significant breakthroughs in silicon nanophotonics. The longest photon lifetime of 2.1 ns was observed in a photonic crystal nanocavity, while advanced microresonators with quality factors over 100 million were demonstrated.

SourceOptica·JournalOptics Express·DateDec 11, 2007