Feature Channels: Quantum Mechanics

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22-Dec-2017 2:00 PM EST
New Study Visualizes Motion of Water Molecules, Promises New Wave of Electronic Devices
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

An Oak Ridge National Laboratory-led research team used a sophisticated X-ray scattering technique to visualize and quantify the movement of water molecules in space and time, which provides new insights that may open pathways for liquid-based electronics.

Released: 21-Dec-2017 2:30 PM EST
Neutrons Track Quantum Entanglement in Copper Elpasolite Mineral
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

A research team including Georgia Institute of Technology professor Martin Mourigal used neutron scattering at Oak Ridge National Laboratory to study copper elpasolite, a mineral that can be driven to an exotic magnetic state when subjected to very low temperatures and a high magnetic field.

Released: 20-Dec-2017 7:05 AM EST
Using the Dark Side of Excitons for Quantum Computing
American Institute of Physics (AIP)

A dark exciton can store information in its spin state, analogous to how a regular, classical bit stores information in its off or on state, but dark excitons do not emit light, making it hard to determine their spins and use them for quantum information processing. In new experiments, however, researchers can read the spin states of dark excitons, and do it more efficiently than before. Their demonstration, described in APL Photonics, can help researchers scale up dark exciton systems to build larger devices for quantum computing.

Released: 14-Dec-2017 11:05 AM EST
New Quantum Liquid Crystal—In the Driver’s Seat
Department of Energy, Office of Science

Lasers reveal a new state of matter—the first 3-D quantum liquid crystal.

Released: 13-Dec-2017 3:05 PM EST
Stirring up a Quantum Spin Liquid with Disorder
Department of Energy, Office of Science

New, unexpected paradigm discovered: Disorder may actually promote an exotic quantum state, with potential for ultrafast computing.

Released: 8-Dec-2017 12:05 AM EST
NUS Scientist Develops “Toolboxes” for Quantum Cybersecurity
National University of Singapore (NUS)

A quantum information scientist from the National University of Singapore has developed efficient “toolboxes” comprising theoretical tools and protocols for quantifying the security of high-speed quantum communication.

Released: 5-Dec-2017 11:05 AM EST
WVU Physicists Tune the Dynamics of Exotic Quantum Particles
West Virginia University - Eberly College of Arts and Sciences

Physicists at West Virginia University have discovered a way to control a newly discovered quantum particle, potentially leading to faster computers and other electronic devices.

Released: 29-Nov-2017 11:10 AM EST
Watching a Quantum Material Lose Its Stripes
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

In quantum materials, periodic stripe patterns can be formed by electrons coupled with lattice distortions. To capture the extremely fast dynamics of how such atomic-scale stripes melt and form, Berkeley Lab scientists used femtosecond-scale laser pulses at terahertz frequencies. Along the way, they found some unexpected behavior.

21-Nov-2017 10:05 AM EST
Quantum Emitting Answer Might Lie in the Solution
American Institute of Physics (AIP)

Lead trihalide perovskite nanocrystals are promising candidates as light sources. Coupling quantum emitters with nanophotonic cavities can significantly boost efficiency, but this approach has not been explored with these nanocrystals. Now, researchers have demonstrated a simple approach for coupling solution-synthesized cesium lead tribromide perovskite nanocrystals to silicon nitride photonic cavities. The resulting room temperature light emission is enhanced by an order of magnitude above what perovskites can emit alone. They report their results this week in Applied Physics Letters.

Released: 20-Nov-2017 4:30 PM EST
Quantum Dots Amplify Light with Electrical Pumping
Los Alamos National Laboratory

In a breakthrough development, Los Alamos scientists have shown that they can successfully amplify light using electrically excited films of the chemically synthesized semiconductor nanocrystals known as quantum dots.

19-Nov-2017 11:05 AM EST
A Curious Quirk Brings Organic Diode Lasers One Step Closer
Penn State Materials Research Institute

A team of researchers from Penn State and Princeton University have taken a big step toward creating a diode laser from a hybrid organic-inorganic material that can be deposited from solution on a laboratory benchtop.

Released: 16-Nov-2017 6:05 AM EST
Simple is Beautiful in Quantum Computing
Department of Energy, Office of Science

Defect spins in diamond were controlled with a simpler, geometric method, leading to faster computing.

Released: 13-Nov-2017 3:55 PM EST
Molecular Magnetism Packs Power with “Messenger Electron”
University of Wisconsin–Madison

A UW–Madison lab has made a molecule that gains magnetic strength through an unusual way of controlling those spins, which could lead to a breakthrough in quantam computing.

8-Nov-2017 8:55 AM EST
Closing the Rural Health Gap: Media Update from RWJF and Partners on Rural Health Disparities
Newswise

Rural counties continue to rank lowest among counties across the U.S., in terms of health outcomes. A group of national organizations including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the National 4-H Council are leading the way to close the rural health gap.

       
Released: 7-Nov-2017 4:05 PM EST
Scientists See Fireworks From Atoms at Ultra-Low Temperatures
University of Chicago

Scientists aren’t normally treated to fireworks when they discover something about the universe. But a team of University of Chicago researchers found a show waiting for them at the atomic level—along with a new form of quantum behavior that may someday be useful in quantum technology applications.

Released: 30-Oct-2017 12:05 PM EDT
Spin-Polarized Surface States in Superconductors
Department of Energy, Office of Science

Novel spin-polarized surface states may guide the search for materials that host Majorana fermions, unusual particles that act as their own antimatter, and could revolutionize quantum computers.

26-Oct-2017 9:05 AM EDT
Quantum Dots Visualize Tiny Vibrational Resonances
American Institute of Physics (AIP)

When laser light is used to drive the motion of a thin, rigid membrane, the membrane vibrates in resonance with the light. The resulting patterns can be visualized through an array of quantum dots, where these tiny structures emit light at a frequency that responds to movement. The advance is reported this week in a cover article of Applied Physics Letters.

Released: 24-Oct-2017 10:05 AM EDT
Neutrons Reveal Suppression of Magnetic Order in Pursuit of a Quantum Spin Liquid
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Paige Kelley, a postdoctoral researcher with a joint appointment at the University of Tennessee and the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is using neutrons to study specific crystal properties that could lead to the realization of a quantum spin liquid, a novel state of matter that may form the basis of future quantum computing technologies.

Released: 20-Oct-2017 11:05 AM EDT
Two ORNL-Led Research Teams Receive $10.5 Million to Advance Quantum Computing for Scientific Applications
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

DOE's Office of Science has awarded two research teams, each headed by a member of ORNL’s Quantum Information Science Group, more than $10 million over 5 years to both assess the feasibility of quantum architectures in addressing big science problems and to develop algorithms capable of harnessing the massive power predicted of quantum computing systems. The two projects are intended to work in concert to ensure synergy across DOE’s quantum computing research spectrum and maximize mutual benefits.

Released: 16-Oct-2017 3:45 PM EDT
Filling the Early Universe with Knots Can Explain Why the World Is Three-Dimensional
Vanderbilt University

Filling the universe with knots shortly after it popped into existence 13.8 billion years ago provides a neat explanation for why we inhabit a three-dimensional world. That is the basic idea advanced by an out-of-the-box theory developed by an international team of physicists.

Released: 16-Oct-2017 12:05 PM EDT
Chemical Treatment Improves Quantum Dot Lasers
Los Alamos National Laboratory

One of the secrets to making tiny laser devices such as opthalmic surgery scalpels work even more efficiently is the use of tiny semiconductor particles, called quantum dots. In new research at Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Nanotech Team, the ~nanometer-sized dots are being doctored, or “doped,” with additional electrons, a treatment that nudges the dots ever closer to producing the desired laser light with less stimulation and energy loss.

Released: 13-Oct-2017 10:05 AM EDT
New Method to Detect Spin Current in Quantum Materials Unlocks Potential for Alternative Electronics
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

A new method that precisely measures the mysterious behavior and magnetic properties of electrons flowing across the surface of quantum materials could open a path to next-generation electronics. A team of scientists has developed an innovative microscopy technique to detect the spin of electrons in topological insulators, a new kind of quantum material that could be used in applications such as spintronics and quantum computing.

6-Oct-2017 8:00 AM EDT
Prototype Shows How Tiny Photodetectors Can Double Their Efficiency
University of California, Riverside

UC Riverside physicists have developed a photodetector – a device that converts light into electrons – by combining two distinct inorganic materials and producing quantum mechanical processes that could revolutionize the way solar energy is collected. The researchers stacked two atomic layers of tungsten diselenide on a single atomic layer of molybdenum diselenide. Such stacking results in properties vastly different from those of the parent layers, allowing for customized electronic engineering at the tiniest possible scale.

Released: 6-Oct-2017 9:05 AM EDT
Columbia Researchers Observe Exotic Quantum Particle in Bilayer Graphene
Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science

A Columbia team has definitively observed an intensely studied anomaly in condensed matter physics—the even-denominator fractional quantum Hall  state—via transport measurement in bilayer graphene. “Observing the 5/2 state in any system is a remarkable scientific opportunity, since it encompasses some of the most perplexing concepts in modern condensed matter physics, such as emergence, quasi-particle formation, quantization, and even superconductivity …[It may have] great potential for real-world applications, particularly in quantum computing.” (Science)

4-Oct-2017 10:00 AM EDT
Light-Activated Nanoparticles Can Supercharge Current Antibiotics
University of Colorado Boulder

Light-activated nanoparticles, also known as quantum dots, can provide a crucial boost in effectiveness for antibiotic treatments used to combat drug-resistant superbugs such as E. coli and Salmonella, new University of Colorado Boulder research shows.

Released: 3-Oct-2017 9:05 AM EDT
Breaking the Rules: Heavy Chemical Elements Alter Theory of Quantum Mechanics
Florida State University

Florida State University researchers found that the theory of quantum mechanics does not adequately explain how the heaviest and rarest elements found at the end of the table function. Instead, another well-known scientific theory — Albert Einstein’s famous Theory of Relativity — helps govern the behavior of the last 21 elements of the Periodic Table.

27-Sep-2017 1:05 PM EDT
Researchers Get First Look at Electrons Escaping Atoms
Ohio State University

In the journal Nature Physics, researchers report taking a first step toward controlling electrons’ behavior inside matter—and thus the first step down a long and complicated road that could eventually lead to the ability to create new states of matter at will.

Released: 26-Sep-2017 12:05 PM EDT
A Quantum Computer to Tackle Fundamental Science Problems
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Two Berkeley Lab teams will receive DOE funding to develop near-term quantum computing platforms and tools to be used for scientific discovery in the chemical sciences. One team will develop novel algorithms, compiling techniques and scheduling tools, while the other team will design prototype four- and eight-qubit processors to compute these new algorithms.

25-Sep-2017 2:05 PM EDT
Quantum Communications Bend to Our Needs
American Institute of Physics (AIP)

The potential for photon entanglement in quantum computing and communications has been known for decades. One issue impeding immediate application is that many photon entanglement platforms do not operate within the range used by most forms of telecommunication. Researchers have started to unravel the mysteries of entangled photons, demonstrating a new nanoscale technique that uses semiconductor quantum dots to bend photons to the wavelengths used by today’s popular C-band standards. They report their work in Applied Physics Letters.

Released: 22-Sep-2017 9:35 AM EDT
Enhancing the Sensing Capabilities of Diamonds with Quantum Properties
American Institute of Physics (AIP)

When a nitrogen atom is next to the space vacated by a carbon atom, it forms what is called a nitrogen-vacancy center. Now, researchers have shown how they can create more NV centers, which makes sensing magnetic fields easier, using a relatively simple method that can be done in many labs. They describe their results this week in Applied Physics Letters.

Released: 5-Sep-2017 5:15 PM EDT
Engineer Develops Key Mathematical Formula for Driving Quantum Experiments
Washington University in St. Louis

For more than a decade, Jr-Shin Li has sought a better way for pulse design using the similarity between spins and springs by using numerical experiments.

Released: 16-Aug-2017 11:05 AM EDT
SLU, Ameren Missouri to Provide Research Data for NASA from Solar Eclipse Monday, Aug. 21
Saint Louis University

Ameren Missouri and Saint Louis University are partners on an innovative weather forecasting system called Quantum Weather that provides detailed severe weather information to improve energy restoration for customers during storms.

11-Aug-2017 10:00 AM EDT
Massive Particles Test Standard Quantum Theory
University of Vienna

In quantum mechanics particles can behave as waves and take many paths through an experiment, even when a classical marble could only take one of them at any time. However, it requires only combinations of pairs of paths, rather than three or more, to determine the probability for a particle to arrive somewhere. This principle is a consequence of Born’s rule, a cornerstone of quantum physics and any measured violation of it might hint at new physics. Now, researchers at the Universities of Vienna and Tel Aviv have addressed this question for the first time explicitly using the wave interference of large molecules behind various combinations of single, double, and triple slits. The analysis – published in the Journal ‘Science Advances’ – confirms the formalism of established quantum physics for massive particles.

Released: 25-Jul-2017 11:05 AM EDT
Qubitekk Licenses ORNL Single-Photon Source Approach for Quantum Encryption
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Qubitekk has non-exclusively licensed an Oak Ridge National Laboratory-developed method to produce quantum light particles, known as photons, in a controlled, deterministic manner that promises improved speed and security when sharing encrypted data.

Released: 24-Jul-2017 4:50 PM EDT
Tulane Team Advances Knowledge Toward More Efficient Electronics
Tulane University

A recent discovery of a new magnetic semimetal could eventually lead to more energy-efficient computers, televisions, radios and other electronics.

Released: 24-Jul-2017 1:05 PM EDT
Quantum Computing Building Blocks
Department of Energy, Office of Science

Scientists invented an approach to creating ordered patterns of nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamonds, a promising approach to storing and computing quantum data.

Released: 19-Jul-2017 9:05 AM EDT
Simulation Reveals Universal Signature of Chaos in Ultracold Reactions
Los Alamos National Laboratory

Researchers have performed the first ever quantum-mechanical simulation of the benchmark ultracold chemical reaction between potassium-rubidium and a potassium atom, opening the door to new controlled chemistry experiments.

Released: 12-Jul-2017 3:05 PM EDT
Physicists Gain New Understanding of Quantum Cooling Process
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

University of Arkansas physicists define new limits in optomechanical cooling to better help understand the quantum state

Released: 5-Jul-2017 3:05 PM EDT
Neutrons Detect Elusive Higgs Amplitude Mode in Quantum Material
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

A team led by the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory has used sophisticated neutron scattering techniques to detect an elusive quantum state known as the Higgs amplitude mode in a two-dimensional material.

Released: 23-Jun-2017 3:05 PM EDT
Atomic Imperfections Move Quantum Communication Network Closer to Reality
University of Chicago

An international team led by the University of Chicago’s Institute for Molecular Engineering has discovered how to manipulate a weird quantum interface between light and matter in silicon carbide along wavelengths used in telecommunications.

Released: 22-Jun-2017 8:25 AM EDT
USC to Lead IARPA Quantum Computing Project
University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering

USC will lead a consortium of universities and private companies to build quantum computers that are at least 10,000 times faster than the best state-of-the-art classical computers.Such high-powered machines could help facilitate the solution of some of the most difficult optimization problems such as machine learning for image recognition, resolving scheduling conflicts in events with many participants, as well as sampling for improved prediction of random events.

Released: 20-Jun-2017 6:05 PM EDT
Chicago Quantum Exchange to Create Technologically Transformative Ecosystem
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab)

The University of Chicago is collaborating with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory to launch an intellectual hub for advancing academic, industrial and governmental efforts in the science and engineering of quantum information.

Released: 15-Jun-2017 7:05 PM EDT
Shaking Schrödinger's cat
Washington University in St. Louis

Frequent measurement of a quantum system's state can either speed or delay its collapse, effects called the quantum Zeno and quantum anti-Zeno effect. But so too can "quasimeasurements" that only poke the system and garner no information about its state.

Released: 9-Jun-2017 11:05 AM EDT
How to Reduce Shockwaves in Quantum Beam Experiments
Weizmann Institute of Science

Weizmann Institute of Science researchers used aeronautical engineering to devise a simple method of reducing shockwaves and brightening beams. The method was inspired by the similarity of the “skimmers” used in physics experiments to the air intake mechanisms on air and spacecraft.

Released: 6-Jun-2017 9:10 AM EDT
Random Numbers: Hard Times Ahead for Hackers
Université de Genève (University of Geneva)

Whenever we need to communicate in secret, a cryptographic key is needed. For this key to work, it must consist of numbers chosen at random without any structure – just the opposite of using the birthdate of our favourite pet. But, for a human, it is extremely difficult to choose without creating any bias, even by hitting the keyboard chaotically. To solve this problem, researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, have developed a new random numbers generator based on the principles of quantum physics.

Released: 5-Jun-2017 4:05 PM EDT
Advanced quantum dots shed bright light on biological processes
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering

Precise fluorescent imaging at the molecular level has not been possible because of non-specific fluorescence by surrounding tissues. Now researchers have resolved many of these problems by using SWIR quantum dots in live mice to image working organs, take metabolic measurements, and track microvascular blood flow in normal brain and brain tumors

Released: 21-May-2017 5:00 AM EDT
Quantum Mechanics Is Complex Enough, for Now…
University of Vienna

Physicists have searched for deviations from standard quantum mechanics, testing whether quantum mechanics requires a more complex set of mathematical rules. To do so a research team led by Philip Walther at the University of Vienna designed a new photonic experiment using exotic metamaterials, which were fabricated at the University of California Berkeley. Their experiment supports standard quantum mechanics and allows the scientists to place bounds on alternative quantum theories. The results, which are published in "Nature Communications", could help to guide theoretical work in a search for a more general version of quantum mechanics.

Released: 2-May-2017 9:05 AM EDT
Story Tips From the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, May 2017
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

ORNL aids St. Jude’s brain development research with software to speed processing of microscopy images; bottleneck to breakdown lignin for biofuels may occur at plant cell wall surface; predicting how ecosystems respond to environmental change could be more precise through new process method; through quantum mechanical squeezing, researchers designed new concept to increase resolution of atomic force microscopy

   
Released: 26-Apr-2017 2:05 PM EDT
UCI’s New 2-D Materials Conduct Electricity Near the Speed of Light
University of California, Irvine

Physicists at the University of California, Irvine and elsewhere have fabricated new two-dimensional materials with breakthrough electrical and magnetic attributes that could make them building blocks of future quantum computers and other advanced electronics.



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