Scientists have long sought the particle that carries the force of gravity, but a new theoretical model tosses out that idea entirely – and shows how it could be tested in experiments
Category: quantum physics – Page 15
The race among quantum computers is full of higher number of qubits and error correction rates. But what problems that need solving now?
Researchers have characterized the temperature-induced frequency shifts of a thorium-229 nuclear transition—an important step in establishing thorium clocks as next-generation frequency standards.
Atomic clocks are at the core of many scientific and technological applications, including spectroscopy, radioastronomy, and global navigation satellite systems. Today’s most precise devices—based on electronic transitions in atoms—would gain or lose less than 1 second over the age of the Universe. An even more accurate timekeeping approach has recently emerged, based on a clock ticking at the frequency of a nuclear transition of the isotope thorium-229 (229 Th) [1, 2]. Now a collaboration between the teams of Jun Ye of JILA, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the University of Colorado Boulder and of Thorsten Schumm of the Vienna Center for Quantum Science and Technology has characterized one of the main sources of the systematic uncertainties that might spoil a clock’s accuracy: temperature-induced shifts of the clock transition frequency [3].
Scientists have unlocked a new way to control ionization, the process where atoms lose electrons, using specially designed light beams
By leveraging optical vortex beams, light that carries angular momentum, they can precisely dictate how electrons break free from atoms. This discovery could reshape imaging technology, enhance particle acceleration, and open doors to advancements in quantum computing.
Performing computation using quantum-mechanical phenomena such as superposition and entanglement.
Researchers have simplified a highly complex quantum imaging technique, 2DES, used to observe ultrafast electron interactions.
By refining an existing interferometer design, they improved control over laser pulses, unlocking new capabilities for studying energy transfer in materials.
Unveiling the ultrafast world of electrons.
Since it was first synthesized in a post-WW2 American lab in 1949, berkelium has been a rebel of the periodic table, defying quantum mechanics and taking on an extra positive charge that its relatives would never.
Now, a team of scientists from berkelium’s alma mater, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, has wrangled the elusive element into a rare partnership with carbon that will enable them to study it in more detail.
Thanks to challenges involved in producing and safely containing the heavy element, few chemists have had the privilege of dealing with berkelium. Just one gram of the stuff can cost a boggling US$27 million. For this experiment, just 0.3 milligrams of berkelium-249 was required.
Peanut butter and jelly. Simon and Garfunkel. Semiconductors and bacteria. Some combinations are more durable than others. In recent years, an interdisciplinary team of Cornell researchers has been pairing microbes with the semiconductor nanocrystals known as quantum dots, with the goal of creating nano-biohybrid systems that can harvest sunlight to perform complex chemical transformations for materials and energy applications.
Now, the team has for the first time identified exactly what happens when a microbe receives an electron from a quantum dot: The charge can either follow a direct pathway or be transferred indirectly via the microbe’s shuttle molecules.
The findings are published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The lead author is Mokshin Suri.
SAN JOSE, Calif., March 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — GTC — NVIDIA today unveiled NVIDIA Spectrum-X™ and NVIDIA Quantum-X silicon photonics networking switches, which enable AI factories to connect millions of GPUs across sites while drastically reducing energy consumption and operational costs. NVIDIA has achieved the fusion of electronic circuits and optical communications at massive scale.
As AI factories grow to unprecedented sizes, networks must evolve to keep pace. NVIDIA photonics switches are the world’s most advanced networking solution. They integrate optics innovations with 4x fewer lasers to deliver 3.5x more power efficiency, 63x greater signal integrity, 10x better network resiliency at scale and 1.3x faster deployment compared with traditional methods.
D-Wave Quantum Inc. announced a scientific advance confirming its annealing quantum computer outperformed a powerful classical supercomputer in simulating complex magnetic materials. This achievement is documented in a peer-reviewed paper titled “Beyond-Classical Computation in Quantum Simulation,” published in Science.
The research indicates that D-Wave’s quantum computer completed simulations that would take nearly a million years and exceed the world’s annual electricity consumption if attempted with classical technology. The D-Wave Advantage2 prototype was central to this success.
An international team collaborated to simulate quantum dynamics in programmable spin glasses using both D-Wave’s system and the Frontier supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, showcasing the quantum computer’s capability for swift and accurate simulation of various lattice structures and materials properties.
All eyes will be on Nvidia’s GPU Technology Conference this week, where the company is expected to unveil its next artificial intelligence chips. Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang said he will share more about the upcoming Blackwell Ultra AI chip, Vera Rubin platform, and plans for following products at the annual conference, known as the GTC, during the company’s fiscal fourth quarter earnings call.
On the earnings call, Huang said Nvidia has some really exciting things to share at the GTC about enterprise and agentic AI, reasoning models, and robotics. The chipmaker introduced its highly anticipated Blackwell AI platform at last year’s GTC, which has successfully ramped up large-scale production, and made billions of dollars in sales in its first quarter, according to Huang.
Analysts at Bank of America said in a note on Wednesday that they expect Nvidia to present attractive albeit well-expected updates on Blackwell Ultra, with a focus on inferencing for reasoning models, which major firms such as OpenAI and Google are racing to develop.
The analysts also anticipate the chipmaker to share more information on its next-generation networking technology, and long-term opportunities in autonomous cars, physical AI such as robotics, and quantum computing.
In January, Nvidia announced that it would host its first Quantum Day at the GTC, and have executives from D-Wave and Rigetti discuss where quantum computing is headed. The company added that it will unveil quantum computing advances shortening the timeline to useful applications.
The same month, quantum computing stocks tanked after Huang expressed doubts over the technology’s near-term potential during the chipmaker’s financial analyst day at the Consumer Electronics Show, saying useful quantum computers are likely decades away.