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Category: quantum physics

Mathematical proof debunks the idea that the universe is a computer simulation

From the article:

“We have demonstrated that it is impossible to describe all aspects of physical reality using a computational theory of quantum gravity,” says Dr. Faizal. “Therefore, no physically complete and consistent theory of everything can be derived from computation alone. Rather, it requires a non-algorithmic understanding, which is more fundamental than the computational laws of quantum gravity and therefore more fundamental than spacetime itself.”

It’s a plot device beloved by science fiction: our entire universe might be a simulation running on some advanced civilization’s supercomputer. But new research from UBC Okanagan has mathematically proven this isn’t just unlikely—it’s impossible.

Dr. Mir Faizal, Adjunct Professor with UBC Okanagan’s Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science, and his international colleagues, Drs. Lawrence M. Krauss, Arshid Shabir and Francesco Marino have shown that the fundamental nature of reality operates in a way that no computer could ever simulate.

Their findings, published in the Journal of Holography Applications in Physics, go beyond simply suggesting that we’re not living in a simulated world like The Matrix. They prove something far more profound: the universe is built on a type of understanding that exists beyond the reach of any algorithm.

Interactive web tool brings quantum game theory concepts to life through music

A new interactive web application allows for a tangible understanding of abstract concepts of quantum game theory. The Kobe University development parallels the emergent dialog found in jazz and improvisational music and aims for a scientific exploration of creativity.

For many of us, , game theory and jazz are difficult concepts by themselves, and it is hard to imagine how they would combine. But Kobe University quantum engineer Souma Satofumi posits that not only can they fruitfully interact, but their combination also provides new avenues to understanding each of them.

Through creating the world’s first browser-based interactive music system based on quantum game theory, users are able to obtain visual and on how their respective strategies intertwine based on their inputs in what resembles a quantum jam session.

A faster, more affordable way to produce quantum nanodiamonds holds promise for medicine and industry

An international team of scientists from three continents led by Dr. Petr Cígler of IOCB Prague has developed a method for creating light-emitting quantum centers in nanodiamonds in only a matter of minutes. In just one week, the process can yield as much material as conventional methods would produce in more than forty years.

Moreover, the resulting nanodiamonds show improved optical and quantum properties. The breakthrough brings us one step closer to the industrial production of higher-quality and more affordable quantum nanodiamonds, which have broad applications in research and technology. The article is published in Advanced Functional Materials.

The research team has introduced a new procedure called Pressure and Temperature Qubits (PTQ), which takes only four minutes. Diamond powder is placed in a press that generates extremely and temperature, reproducing the conditions found deep within Earth’s mantle. Under these conditions, quantum centers are formed inside the nanodiamonds.

Perovskites reveal ultrafast quantum light in new study

Halide perovskites—already a focus of major research into efficient, low-cost solar cells—have been shown to handle light faster than most semiconductors on the market.

A new paper, published in Nature Nanotechnology, reports quantum transients on the scale of ~2 picoseconds at low temperature in bulk formamidinium lead iodide films grown by scalable solution or vapor methods. That ultrafast timescale indicates use in very fast light sources and other photonic components. Crucially, these effects appear in films made by scalable processing rather than specialized growth in lab settings—suggesting a practical and affordable route to explore ultrafast quantum technology.

“Perovskites continue to surprise us,” said Professor Sam Stranks, who led the study. “This discovery shows how their intriguing nanoscale structure gives rise to intrinsic quantum properties that could be harnessed for future photonic technologies.”

Study may lead to improved networked quantum sensing

Could global positioning systems become more precise and provide more accurate details on distances for users to get from point A to point B?

A study by University of Rhode Island assistant physics professor Wenchao Ge in collaboration with Kurt Jacobs, a physicist of quantum tech with the U.S. Army, which was recently published by Physical Review Letters, may lead to more enhanced quantum sensing and make such detection data more definitive.

Ge’s study, “Heisenberg-Limited Continuous-Variable Distributed Quantum Metrology with Arbitrary Weights” published by in September, looked at networked quantum sensing, which explores advanced sensor technology in an entangled network that could improve accuracy on how to measure, navigate and explore the world, such as by sensing changes in motion, and electric or magnetic fields.

Mirrorless laser: Physicists propose a new light source

A team of physicists from the University of Innsbruck and Harvard University has proposed a fundamentally new way to generate laser light: a laser without mirrors. Their study, published in Physical Review Letters, shows that quantum emitters spaced at subwavelength distances can constructively synchronize their photon emission to produce a bright, very narrow-band light beam, even in the absence of any optical cavity.

In conventional lasers, mirrors are essential to bounce light back and forth, stimulating coherent emission from excited atoms or molecules, and thus light amplification. But in the new “mirrorless” concept, the atoms interact directly through their own electromagnetic dipole fields, given that interatomic spacing is smaller than the emitted light’s wavelength. When the system is pumped with enough energy, these interactions cause the emitters to lock together and radiate collectively—a phenomenon called superradiant emission.

The team led by Helmut Ritsch found that this collective emission generates light that is both highly directional and spectrally pure, with a single narrow spectral line, in cases where only a fraction of emitters are excited by a laser and the rest of atoms remain unpumped. Since this passive emitter fraction is not broadened by the driving laser or power broadening, it effectively acts as an for the active emitters, in analogy with a conventional laser where the optical resonator and the gain medium are separate physical entities.

Electrons can now be controlled to build smarter quantum devices

Auburn University scientists have developed a new class of materials that lets researchers precisely control free electrons, a breakthrough that could reshape the future of computing and chemical manufacturing.

Their study introduces a material system that allows fine-tuned control over how electrons behave within matter, potentially paving the way for faster computers, smarter machines, and more efficient industrial processes.

Memristors achieve stable resistance values tied to fundamental constants of nature

Researchers at Forschungszentrum Jülich, together with international collaborators, have demonstrated for the first time that memristors—novel nanoscale switching devices—can provide stable resistance values directly linked to fundamental constants of nature. This paves the way for electrical units such as electrical resistance to be traced back far more simply and directly than it has been possible to date. By contrast, conventional, quantum-based measurement technology is so demanding that it can only be carried out in a few specialized laboratories worldwide.

The paper is published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.

Since 2019, all base units of the International System of Units (SI)—including the meter, second, and kilogram—have been based on fundamental natural constants. For example, the kilogram, which was once based on the “prototype kilogram,” is now linked to Planck’s constant h. A meter is defined by the speed of light, and a second by the oscillation of the cesium atom.

Topological insulator maintains quantum spin Hall effect at higher temperatures

Topological insulators could form the basis for revolutionary electronic components. However, as they generally only function at very low temperatures, their practical application has been severely limited to date. Researchers at the University of Würzburg have now developed a topological insulator that also works at higher temperatures. Their results are published in Science Advances.

A topological insulator can be imagined as a material that is a perfect insulator on the inside—it does not conduct electricity there. At its edges, however, it behaves like an almost lossless “electron highway.” Electrons can move along these paths with almost no loss.

To deepen the analogy: these highways have separate lanes for electrons with different “spins”—a kind of intrinsic angular momentum. Electrons with “spin-up” move in one direction, electrons with “spin-down” in the opposite direction. This strict traffic regulation prevents collisions and thus . The phenomenon behind this is known as the quantum spin Hall effect (QSHE)—an effect that was also first experimentally proven at the University of Würzburg.

Distributed quantum sensor network achieves ultra-high resolution near Heisenberg limit

Precise metrology forms a fundamental basis for advanced science and technology, including bioimaging, semiconductor defects diagnostics, and space telescope observations. However, the sensor technologies used in metrology have so far faced a physical barrier known as the standard quantum limit.

A promising alternative to surpass this limit is the distributed quantum sensor—a technology that links multiple spatially separated sensors into a single, large-scale quantum system, thereby enabling highly . To date, efforts have primarily focused on enhancing precision, while the potential for extending this approach to has not yet been fully demonstrated.

Dr. Hyang-Tag Lim’s research team at the Center for Quantum Technology, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), has demonstrated the world’s first ultra-high-resolution distributed quantum sensor network. The study is published in the journal Physical Review Letters.

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