Data transmission that works by means of magnetic waves instead of electric currents: For many scientists, this is the basis of future technologies that will make transmission faster and individual components smaller and more energy-efficient. Magnons, the particles of magnetism, serve as moving information carriers. Almost 15 years ago, researchers at the University of Münster (Germany) succeeded for the first time in achieving a novel quantum state of magnons at room temperature—a Bose-Einstein condensate of magnetic particles, also known as a ‘superatome,’ i.e. an extreme state of matter that usually occurs only at very low temperatures.
The research team, which also included Rodriguez’w PhD students Zou Geng and Kevin Peters, increased and decreased the distances between the mirrors at different speeds and noted how light transmitted through the cavity was affected. They saw that the direction in which the mirrors moved influenced how much light got through the cavity, finding that “the transmission of light through the cavity is non-linear.” This behavior of light, called hysteresis, is present in the phase transitions of boiling water or magnetic materials.
The scientists also increased the speed with which the oil-filled cavity opened and closed, observing that under such conditions the hysteresis was not always present. This allowed them to extrapolate a universal law. “The equations that describe how light behaves in our oil-filled cavity are similar to those describing collections of atoms, superconductors and even high energy physics,” elaborated Rodriguez, adding: “Therefore, the universal behavior we discovered is likely to be observed in such systems as well.”
Modern circuitry operates in binaries – switches can either be 0 or 1 – which in turn restricts their computing power to discrete values. Qubits, on the other hand, can hold both values depending on their state, and derives this property from quantum physics. Qubits are modelled on subatomic particles like electrons, giving them an edge over Boolean systems. Quantum computers are difficult to operate, in part due its bulk, power consumption, hardware complexity, and reliance on low temperatures.
Intel’s “hot” qubit technology ought to address the latter concern. These qubits are capable of operating at temperatures higher than 1 Kelvin (−458F / −273K), which is the warmest temperature that quantum computers till now were able to tolerate. Computers in outer space operate at 3 Kelvin. The practical benefits of this breakthrough will manifest itself if Intel can combine quantum hardware and control circuitry on the same chip. It has hitherto been difficult for researchers to separate control electronics for qubits from the qubits themselves owing to the frigid temperature that the latter require to function.
Intel will be hoping that this development will help it fabricate more efficient chips that meld the two parts on the same chip without compromising on fidelity. The commercialization of quantum computing still remains a pipe dream, but large corporations like Google and Intel are paving the way for improvements that could make quantum computers more viable. Even so, make sure you’re wearing a scarf before you go to collect your first quantum computer.
