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A kind of umbilical cord between different quantum states can be found in some materials. Researchers at TU Wien have now shown that this “umbilical cord” is generic to many materials.

It is a basic principle of quantum theory: sometimes certain physical quantities can only assume very specific values; all the values in between are simply not permitted by physics. This fact plays a decisive role in the behavior of materials. Certain energy ranges are possible for the electrons of the material, while others are not. Among other things, this explains the difference between electrically conductive metals and non-conductive insulators.

Sometimes, however, surprising connections can arise between permitted ranges, through which electrons can switch from one range to the other. One such unusual transition region was discovered in 2007 in certain copper-containing materials, known as cuprates.

The experiment provided further proof of the reality of photons, yet Millikan didn’t accept their existence until later in his career.

MIT researchers are developing techniques to make quantum gates, the basic operations of a quantum computer, as fast as possible in order to reduce the impact of decoherence. However, as gates get faster, another type of error, arising from counter-rotating dynamics, can be introduced because of the way qubits are controlled using electromagnetic waves.

Single-qubit gates are usually implemented with a resonant pulse, which induces Rabi oscillations between the qubit states. When the pulses are too fast, however, “Rabi gates” are not so consistent, due to unwanted errors from counter-rotating effects. The faster the gate, the more the counter-rotating error is manifest. For low-frequency qubits such as fluxonium, counter-rotating errors limit the fidelity of fast gates.

“Getting rid of these errors was a fun challenge for us,” says Rower. “Initially, Leon had the idea to utilize circularly polarized microwave drives, analogous to circularly polarized light, but realized by controlling the relative phase of charge and flux drives of a superconducting qubit. Such a circularly polarized drive would ideally be immune to counter-rotating errors.”

Competition between different possible ground states of strongly correlated electron systems can lead to the emergence of mixed states called microemulsions. Now this phenomenon is reported at the meltingion of a Wigner crystal.

In the world of tiny particles and quantum physics, scientists often study how electrons—the fundamental particles that carry electricity—behave under different conditions. When electrons interact strongly with each other, they can form various states of matter, much like how water can turn into ice or steam. Sometimes, these states compete, leading to complex and fascinating patterns. One such pattern is called a microemulsion phase, where tiny regions of different electron states mix together, creating a kind of quantum “patchwork quilt.”

In this study, researchers explored a special material called a MoSe₂ monolayer, which is an ultra-thin layer of atoms that can host electrons. By cooling this material to extremely low temperatures and using advanced light-based techniques, they observed something remarkable: aion between two electron states—a rigid Wigner crystal (where electrons are locked in place) and a flowing electron liquid. During thision, the electrons formed a microemulsion phase, blending crystal-like and liquid-like regions in a unique, self-organized pattern.

Continue reading “An electronic microemulsion phase emerging from a quantum crystal-to-liquid transition” »

A team of researchers report colloidal quantum dots (QDs) offer a unique platform for exploring quantum effects.

New breakthroughs in molecular diffusion and visible singularities, reshaping science with applications in chemistry, physics, and cosmology.

Quantum foam itself released gravitational waves that eventually shaped the cosmic universe.

Over billions of years, these stretched ripples grew into clumps of matter, forming the first stars and galaxies. Eventually, they created a massive network of galaxies and dark matter called the cosmic web, which spans the entire universe today.

A new study suggests that the cosmic web could have formed without relying on inflation driven by a scalar field. Instead, it proposes a novel mechanism that suggests that inflation arises from gravitational wave amplification.

Continue reading “Space possibly created galaxies on its own, thanks to gravitational waves” »

Catch a glimpse of the near future as AI and Quantum Computing transform how we live. Eric Schmidt, decade-long CEO of Google, joins Brian Greene to explore the horizons of innovation, where digital and quantum frontiers collide to spark a new era of discovery.

This program is part of the Big Ideas series, supported by the John Templeton Foundation.

Continue reading “AI and Quantum Computing: Glimpsing the Near Future” »

Researchers argue the cryptocurrency’s open-source framework will enable it to adapt with quantum-resistant solutions.