A chiral two-mode Lipkin-Meshkov-Glick model using acoustic cavities enables the simulation of exotic quantum phenomena like time crystals on a novel hybrid platform
Category: quantum physics – Page 11
Experimental proof shows quantum world is even stranger than previously thought
The quantum world is famously weird—a single particle can be in two places at once, its properties are undefined until they are measured, and the very act of measuring a quantum system changes everything. But according to new research published in Physical Review Letters, the quantum world is even stranger than previously thought.
What happens at the quantum level is in stark contrast to the classical world (what we see every day), where objects have definite properties whether or not we look at them, and observing them doesn’t change their nature. To see whether any system is behaving classically, scientists use a mathematical test called the Leggett-Garg inequality (LGI). Classical systems always obey the LGI limit while quantum systems violate it, proving they are non-classical.
Adaptive method helps light-based quantum processors act more like neural networks
Machine learning models called convolutional neural networks (CNNs) power technologies like image recognition and language translation. A quantum counterpart—known as a quantum convolutional neural network (QCNN)—could process information more efficiently by using quantum states instead of classical bits.
Photons are fast, stable, and easy to manipulate on chips, making photonic systems a promising platform for QCNNs. However, photonic circuits typically behave linearly, limiting the flexible operations that neural networks need.
Quantum key distribution enables secure communication via hybrid and mobile channels
As part of the QuNET project, researchers have demonstrated how quantum key distribution works reliably via hybrid and mobile channels. The results are milestones for sovereign, quantum-secured communication in Germany and have been published in the New Journal of Physics.
Quantum communication is considered a crucial technology for long-term data security and thus also for technological sovereignty in Germany and Europe. At its core is the distribution of secure cryptographic keys based on quantum physical processes—quantum key distribution (QKD).
QKD will not only be important for highly secure communication in government agencies, the military, and businesses, but will also help protect the data we use in our daily lives.
Defining work and heat in quantum systems: Laser light coherence offers a consistent approach
Researchers at the University of Basel have developed a new approach to applying thermodynamics to microscopic quantum systems.
In 1798, the officer and physicist Benjamin Thompson (a.k.a. Count Rumford) observed the drilling of cannon barrels in Munich and concluded that heat is not a substance but can be created in unlimited amounts by mechanical friction.
Rumford determined the amount of heat generated by immersing the cannon barrels in water and measuring how long it took the water to reach boiling. Based on such experiments, thermodynamics was developed in the 19th century. Initially, it was at the service of the Industrial Revolution and explained, physically, for instance, how heat can be efficiently converted into useful work in steam engines.
Innovation in Homeland Security Lives Between Sectors
#homelandsecurity #innovation
Having been involved in the creation of the Department of Homeland Security’s Science & Technology Directorate, and with decades of experience working at the intersection of government, industry, and academia, I have come to a simple but important observation: innovation in homeland security doesn’t happen in one area. Instead, it thrives where mission, research, and engineering come together.
Convergence is the catalyst. Cyber defense, autonomous systems, identity management, quantum computing, and photonics are all examples of technological advancements that didn’t develop in isolation. Their progress was the result of different sectors working together on shared goals, risk management, and practical use. Homeland security enterprise is constituted by a multi-sectoral nature: government sets mission needs, industry creates scalable solutions, and academia provides the necessary research. Real innovation happens when these areas come together.
Statistical data highlights the significance of this alignment. Research on cyber-behavior, for instance, demonstrates that organizational culture, national context, and employee backgrounds significantly impact risk outcomes. Practically speaking, this implies that secure systems cannot be developed in isolation. The human and institutional context is as crucial as technical advancements.
