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Archive for the ‘computing’ category: Page 359

Apr 22, 2022

Interacting Brain Waves Key to How We Process Information

Posted by in categories: biological, computing, neuroscience

Summary: Study reveals the different ways the brain parses information through interactions of waves of neural activity.

Source: Salk Institute.

For years, the brain has been thought of as a biological computer that processes information through traditional circuits, whereby data zips straight from one cell to another. While that model is still accurate, a new study led by Salk Professor Thomas Albright and Staff Scientist Sergei Gepshtein shows that there’s also a second, very different way that the brain parses information: through the interactions of waves of neural activity.

Apr 22, 2022

Mass of rare particle may conflict with ‘standard model,’ signaling new physics

Posted by in categories: computing, particle physics

New measurement for W boson is at odds with previous values.


AMD has cut prices on its Ryzen 5,000 CPUs. In some cases, they’ve trimmed price by as much as 25 percent.

Apr 22, 2022

Parallel quantum simulation of large systems on small NISQ computers

Posted by in categories: computing, internet, quantum physics

Basically all this says is that a basic quantum computer made of a simulation of an infinite quantum computer. So essentially infinite quantum computers could make the internet much more instant.


To parallelise our simulation on a small NISQ machine, we first identify partitions of the system where the effect of one partition upon the other can be summarised by a small amount of information. This is achieved by making Schmidt decompositions across the cut: \(\left|\psi \right\rangle =\mathopsum
olimits_alpha = 1Dlambda ^alpha \left|phi _L^alpha \right\rangle \left|phi _R^alpha \right\rangle,\) where \(\left|phi _L^alpha \right\rangle\) are an orthonormal set of states to the left of the cut and \(\left|phi _R^alpha \right\rangle\) the same on the right. The λα are known as the Schmidt coefficients and D the Schmidt rank or bond order. Retaining λα only above some threshold value provides a way to compress representations of a quantum state; the MPS construction can be obtained by applying this procedure sequentially along a spin chain4.

If an observation is made on the right-hand-side of such a cut, the effect of the quantum state on the left upon the observation can be summarised by just D variables corresponding to the Schmidt coefficients. This same effect can be achieved by an effective state on a spin chain of length \(log\,_2D\) —see Fig. 1 —which can be parametrised on the quantum circuit by an SU (D2) unitary VL. This encodes both the Schmidt coefficients λα and the orthonormal states \(\left|phi _L^alpha \right\rangle\). The latter does not contribute to observables on the right and so in principle, VL can be parametrised by just D variational parameters. The precise numerical values must be determined by solving a quantum mechanical problem on the left of the system. Similarly, for observations made to the left of the cut, the effect of the right-hand side can be summarised by a unitary VR.

Apr 22, 2022

Next generation photonic memory devices are ‘light-written,’ ultrafast and energy efficient

Posted by in categories: computing, space

Circa 2019


Light is the most energy-efficient way of moving information. Yet, light shows one big limitation: it is difficult to store. As a matter of fact, data centers rely primarily on magnetic hard drives. However, in these hard drives, information is transferred at an energy cost that is nowadays exploding. Researchers of the Institute of Photonic Integration of the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) have developed a ‘hybrid technology’ which shows the advantages of both light and magnetic hard drives.

Ultra-short (femtosecond) allows data to be directly written in a magnetic memory in a fast and highly energy-efficient way. Moreover, as soon as the information is written (and stored), it moves forward leaving space to empty memory domains to be filled in with new data. This research, published in Nature Communications, promises to revolutionize the process of data storage in future photonic integrated circuits.

Continue reading “Next generation photonic memory devices are ‘light-written,’ ultrafast and energy efficient” »

Apr 22, 2022

Experimental characterisation of nonlocal photon superfluids

Posted by in categories: computing, particle physics, quantum physics

Circa 2015 This is basically amazing leading to speeds in a computer basically infinite.


Quantum gases of atoms and exciton-polaritons are nowadays a well established theoretical and experimental tool for fundamental studies of quantum many-body physics and suggest promising applications to quantum computing. Given their technological complexity, it is of paramount interest to devise other systems where such quantum many-body physics can be investigated at a lesser technological expense. Here we examine a relatively well-known system of laser light propagating through thermo-optical defocusing media: based on a hydrodynamical description of light as a quantum fluid of interacting photons, we investigate such systems as a valid, room temperature alternative to atomic or exciton-polariton condensates for studies of many-body physics.

Apr 22, 2022

Fabricating qubits using advanced semiconductor manufacturing processes

Posted by in categories: computing, quantum physics

Quantum computers are promising computing machines that perform computations leveraging the collective properties of quantum physics states. These computers could help to tackle many computational problems that are currently intractable with conventional computers.

Despite their promise, fabricating quantum computers on a large-scale is currently very challenging, as a full-scale quantum computer integrates millions of qubits. To ensure that they can be produced using industrial semiconductor manufacturing processes, quantum device engineers have been trying to create quantum computers based on silicon quantum dots.

Nonetheless, existing quantum computers have been primarily fabricated using and conventional lift-off processes. This greatly limits their production rates, as both these processes only yield a few properly functioning devices at a time.

Apr 21, 2022

Quantum Steampunk: A new frontier in quantum physics

Posted by in categories: computing, quantum physics

A blend of Victorian thermodynamics and futuristic quantum computing come together in one author’s new vision.

Apr 20, 2022

3D Printed IC to Reshape the Semiconductor Industry

Posted by in categories: 3D printing, computing

3D printed ICs overcome semiconductor shortage and reinforce supply chains, leading to cheaper production costs, faster prototyping, and faster time to market.


As the size of microchip packages shrinks, semiconductor manufacturers are under pressure to improve lithography capabilities. For more than two decades, researchers have been working on 3D printed integrated circuits. Earlier attempts at 3D printing electronics used the proper technique but failed to reach the required levels of conductivity for a PCB, leaving complicated electrical circuits unusable. Over time though, these printing tools have gradually improved feature size resolution, yield, and variability in production.

● A broad variety of materials may be used to produce an assortment of printed electronics, including conductors, semiconductors, dielectrics, resistors, and other components. ● As has been the case in other areas, additive manufacturing is expected to result in more innovative products, lower costs, and faster production runs.

Apr 20, 2022

Elon Musk says Netflix is losing subscribers because ‘the woke mind virus’ is making it ’unwatchable‘

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, computing, Elon Musk

Design also poised to save space, retain memory in event of power loss. A new spin on one of the 20th century’s smallest but grandest inventions, the transistor, could help feed the world’s ever-growing appetite for digital memory while slicing up to 5% of the energy from its power-hungry diet.

Apr 20, 2022

Innovative New Magneto-Electric Transistor Could Cut 5% From World’s Digital Energy Budget

Posted by in categories: computing, physics

A new spin on one of the 20th century’s smallest but grandest inventions, the transistor, could help feed the world’s ever-growing appetite for digital memory while slicing up to 5% of the energy from its power-hungry diet.

Following years of innovations from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Christian Binek and University at Buffalos Jonathan Bird and Keke He, the physicists recently teamed up to craft the first magneto-electric transistor.

Along with curbing the energy consumption of any microelectronics that incorporate it, the team’s design could reduce the number of transistors needed to store certain data by as much as 75%, said Nebraska physicist Peter Dowben, leading to smaller devices. It could also lend those microelectronics steel-trap memory that remembers exactly where its users leave off, even after being shut down or abruptly losing power.