Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
Toggle light / dark theme

Blog

Category: computing – Page 30

Molecular qubits can communicate at telecom frequencies

A team of scientists from the University of Chicago, the University of California Berkeley, Argonne National Laboratory, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has developed molecular qubits that bridge the gap between light and magnetism—and operate at the same frequencies as telecommunications technology. The advance, published today in Science, establishes a promising new building block for scalable quantum technologies that can integrate seamlessly with existing fiber-optic networks.

Because the new molecular qubits can interact at telecom-band frequencies, the work points toward future quantum networks—sometimes called the “.” Such networks could enable ultra-secure communication channels, connect quantum computers across long distances, and distribute quantum sensors with unprecedented precision.

Molecular qubits could also serve as highly sensitive quantum sensors; their tiny size and chemical flexibility mean they could be embedded in unusual environments—such as —to measure magnetic fields, temperature, or pressure at the nanoscale. And because they are compatible with silicon photonics, these molecules could be integrated directly into chips, paving the way for compact quantum devices that could be used for computing, communication, or sensing.

White Rabbit optical timing technology meets quantum entanglement

A small yet innovative experiment is taking place at CERN. Its goal is to test how the CERN-born optical timing signal—normally used in the Laboratory’s accelerators to synchronize devices with ultra-high precision—can best be sent through an optical fiber alongside a single-photon signal from a source of quantum-entangled photons. The results could pave the way for using this technique in quantum networks and quantum cryptography.

Research in is growing rapidly worldwide. Future quantum networks could connect quantum computers and sensors, without losing any . They could also enable the secure exchange of information, opening up applications across many fields.

Unlike classical networks, where information is encoded in binary bits (0s and 1s), quantum networks rely on the unique properties of quantum bits, or “qubits,” such as superposition (where a qubit can exist in multiple states simultaneously) and entanglement (where the state of one qubit influences the state of another no matter how far apart they are).

TSMC Fast-Tracks Production of Cutting-Edge Nodes in The US, With A16 (1.6nm) To Now Debut a Year Earlier Amid US-Taiwan Parity Pressure

TSMC plans to accelerate US manufacturing, with its new Arizona fab now expected to introduce high-end nodes, such as the A16, significantly ahead of the original timeline.

For those unaware, there’s still a concern by the US administration around TSMC’s operations in the US and Taiwan, and according to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, the USG is now demanding that TSMC produce ‘50% of its total chip capacity’ in America, to ensure that the nation is safeguarded from geopolitical tensions between China and Taiwan. According to a report by the Taiwan Economic Daily, the new Arizona Fab 3 is set to introduce 2nm and A16 in America by 2027, a year ahead of the original timeline.

TSMC is currently pursuing mass production of 4nm in its Arizona facility, and 3nm production lines are also being laid, with production expected to commence by year-end. More importantly, TSMC plans to introduce both 2nm and A16 (1.6nm) with TSMC’s fourth Arizona fab by 2027, which means that relative to Taiwan, the US will just be a year behind, which is a considerable progress in just a span of ‘few months’. In general, TSMC’s 2nm production is slated for next quarter, while A16 will be introduced around H2 2026.

Scientists finally prove that a quantum computer can unconditionally outperform classical computers

A quantum computer has demonstrated that it can solve a problem more efficiently than a conventional computer. This achievement comes from being able to unlock a vast memory resource that classical computing cannot match.

Physicists solve mystery of loop current switching in kagome metals

Quantum metals are metals where quantum effects—behaviors that normally only matter at atomic scales—become powerful enough to control the metal’s macroscopic electrical properties.

Researchers in Japan have explained how electricity behaves in a special group of quantum metals called kagome metals. The study is the first to show how reverse tiny loop electrical currents inside these metals. This switching changes the material’s macroscopic electrical properties and reverses which direction has easier electrical flow, a property known as the diode effect, where current flows more easily in one direction than the other.

Notably, the research team found that quantum geometric effects amplify this switching by about 100 times. The study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, provides the theoretical foundation that could eventually lead to new electronic devices controlled by simple magnets.

Forget numbers—your PIN could consist of a shimmy and a shake

In the near future, you may not need to touch a keypad to select a tip or pay for large purchases. All it may take is a swipe, tap or other quick gesture.

The innovation utilizes near-field communication (NFC), the short-range wireless technology embedded in smartphones, and terminals, passports and key fobs. UBC computer scientists say it could help prevent the spread of germs through touchpads, speed up transactions, and improve accessibility for users unable to press buttons.

Researchers debuted the technology in a paper at the User Interface Software and Technology conference.

Improved models of heavy ion collisions reveal new details of early universe nuclear matter

A researcher, Heikki Mäntysaari from the University of Jyväskylä (Finland), has been part of an international research group that has made significant advances in modeling heavy ion collisions. New computer models provide additional information about the matter in the early universe and improve our understanding of the extremely hot and dense nuclear matter. The work is published in the journal Physical Review Letters.

Quantum error correction codes enable efficient scaling to hundreds of thousands of qubits

A new class of highly efficient and scalable quantum low-density parity-check error correction codes, capable of performance approaching the theoretical hashing bound, has been developed by scientists at the Institute of Science, Tokyo, Japan. These novel error correction codes can handle quantum codes with hundreds of thousands of qubits, potentially enabling large-scale fault-tolerant quantum computing, with applications in diverse fields, including quantum chemistry and optimization problems.

/* */