Researchers have unveiled a new photonic in-memory computing method that promises to advance optical computing significantly.
This technology, using magneto-optical materials, achieves high-speed, low-energy, and durable memory solutions suitable for integration with existing computing technologies.
Photonic In-Memory Computing
For error-resistant quantum computers, creating superpositions or entanglement between states is relatively easy. In contrast, adding magic to the state or dislocating them further from easy-to-simulate stabilizer states is expected to be highly challenging.
“In the literature of quantum information, you often encounter terms like ‘magic state distillation’ or ‘magic state cultivation,’ which refer to pretty arduous processes to create special quantum states with magic that the quantum computer can make use of,” said Niroula.
“Prior to this paper, we had written a paper that observed a similar phase transition in entanglement, in which we had observed phases where measurements of a quantum system preserved or destroyed entanglement depending on how frequent they are.”
A new all-optical switch uses circularly polarized light and an innovative semiconductor to process data faster and more efficiently in fiber-optic systems.
This technology facilitates significant energy savings and introduces a method to control quantum properties in materials, promising major advancements in optical computing and fundamental science.
Modern high-speed internet relies on light to transmit large amounts of data quickly and reliably through fiber-optic cables. However, when data needs to be processed, the light signals face a bottleneck. They must first be converted into electrical signals for processing before they can continue being transmitted.
Two systems exist in thermal equilibrium if no heat passes between them. Computers, which consume energy and give off heat as they process information, operate far from thermal equilibrium. Were they to stop consuming energy—say you let your laptop discharge completely—they would stop functioning.
Quantum computers hold the promise to emulate complex materials, helping researchers better understand the physical properties that arise from interacting atoms and electrons. This may one day lead to the discovery or design of better semiconductors, insulators, or superconductors that could be used to make ever faster, more powerful, and more energy-efficient electronics.
A scheme that moves electromagnetically trapped ions around a 2D array of sites could aid development of scaled-up ion-based quantum computing.
Arrays of ions held in electromagnetic traps could eventually become powerful quantum computers, but as the number of ions increases, linear arrays become impractical. Rearranging the ions to achieve interactions between any specific pair becomes challenging, but now researchers have demonstrated a 2D scheme that does it more efficiently [1]. Using this approach, the full range of quantum operations is feasible with relatively simple applied voltages, and the researchers believe that it should soon find use in practical ion-based devices.
In trapped-ion quantum processors, single ions represent quantum bits (qubits). One of the main advantages of this technology is that individual ions can be moved around, says Robert Delaney of Quantinuum, a quantum-computing company. If rearranging ions—known as sorting—can bring every ion close enough to every other ion to allow pairwise quantum entanglement, the system has what is called all-to-all connectivity.
According to astrophysicist Erik Zackrisson’s computer model, there could be about 70 quintillion planets in the universe. However, most of these planets are vastly different from Earth — they tend to be larger, older, and not suited for life. Only around 63 exoplanets have been found in their stars’ habitable zones, making Earth potentially one of the few life-sustaining planets. This could explain Fermi’s paradox — the puzzling lack of evidence for extraterrestrial life. While we continue searching, Earth might be truly special.
After reading the article, Harry gained more than 55 upvotes with this comment: “If life developing on Earth the way it has is 1 in a billion, then this would imply that there is life on at least a billion other planets (?)”
The prevailing belief among astronomers is that the number of planets should at least match the number of stars. With 100 billion galaxies in the universe, each containing about a billion trillion stars, there should be an equally vast number of exoplanets, including Earth-like worlds — in theory.
The order of the planets is something most of us learn in school: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and (until 2006) Pluto.
So, you would be forgiven for thinking that as Earthlings, our closest planetary neighbor is Venus. And in a way, you would be right – at its nearest, Venus approaches Earth closer than any other planet in the Solar System. Likewise, its orbit is closer to our orbit than any other. However, in another sense, you would be wrong. At least, that is the argument put forward in an article published in PhysicsToday.
To identify our closest neighbor, engineers affiliated with NASA, Los Alamos National Observatory, and the US Army’s Engineer Research Development Center built a computer simulation to calculate the average proximity of Earth to its three nearest planets (Mars, Venus, and Mercury) over a 10,000-year-period. Because of the way the planets align during their respective orbits, the model shows that Earth spends more time nearer to Mercury than either Venus or Mars.
Radio frequency (RF) and microwave power measurements are widely used to support applications across space, defense, and communication. These precise measurements enable engineers to accurately characterize waveforms, components, circuits, and systems.
