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Category: quantum physics – Page 20

Quantum computers may crack RSA encryption with fewer qubits than expected

A team of researchers at AI Google Quantum AI, led by Craig Gidney, has outlined advances in quantum computer algorithms and error correction methods that could allow such computers to crack Rivest–Shamir–Adleman (RSA) encryption keys with far fewer resources than previously thought. The development, the team notes, suggests encryption experts need to begin work toward developing next-generation encryption techniques. The paper is published on the arXiv preprint server.

RSA is an encryption technique developed in the late 1970s that involves generating public and private keys; the former is used for encryption and the latter decryption. Current standards call for using a 2,048-bit encryption key. Over the past several years, research has suggested that quantum computers would one day be able to crack RSA encryption, but because quantum development has been slow, researchers believed that it would be many years before it came to pass.

Some in the field have accepted a theory that a quantum computer capable of cracking such codes in a reasonable amount of time would have to have at least 20 million qubits. In this new work, the team at Google suggests it could theoretically be done with as few as a million qubits—and it could be done in a week.

Superconducting diode bridge efficiently converts AC to DC for quantum circuits

Superconductivity is an advantageous property observed in some materials, which entails an electrical resistance of zero at extremely low temperatures. Superconductors, materials that exhibit this property, have proved to be highly promising for the development of various electronic components for both classical and quantum technologies.

Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of California–Riverside and SEEQC Inc. recently introduced a new system comprised of four superconducting diodes (SDs), which are that allow electric current to flow in only one direction and are made of .

Their superconducting diode bridge, introduced in a paper published in Nature Electronics, was found to perform remarkably well at cryogenic temperatures, achieving rectification efficiencies as high as 42% ± 5%.

2D quantum sensor uses spin defects for precise magnetic field detection

A team of physicists at the University of Cambridge has unveiled a breakthrough in quantum sensing by demonstrating the use of spin defects in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) as powerful, room-temperature sensors capable of detecting vectorial magnetic fields at the nanoscale. The findings, published in Nature Communications, mark a significant step toward more practical and versatile quantum technologies.

“Quantum sensors allow us to detect nanoscale variations of various quantities. In the case of magnetometry, quantum sensors enable nanoscale visualization of properties like current flow and magnetization in materials leading to the discovery of new physics and functionality,” said Dr. Carmem Gilardoni, co-first author of this study at Cambridge’s Cavendish Laboratory.

“This work takes that capability to the next level using hBN, a material that’s not only compatible with nanoscale applications but also offers new degrees of freedom compared to state-of-the-art nanoscale .”

Solitonic superfluorescence paves way for high-temperature quantum materials

A study in Nature describes both the mechanism and the material conditions necessary for superfluorescence at room temperature. The work could serve as a blueprint for designing materials that allow exotic quantum states—such as superconductivity, superfluidity or superfluorescence—at high temperatures, paving the way for applications such as quantum computers that don’t require extremely low temperatures to operate.

The international team that did the work was led by North Carolina State University and included researchers from Duke University, Boston University and the Institut Polytechnique de Paris.

“In this work, we show both experimental and theoretical reasons behind macroscopic quantum coherence at high temperature,” says Kenan Gundogdu, professor of physics at NC State and corresponding author of the study.

Erasure cooling, control, and hyperentanglement of motion in optical tweezers

Coherently controlling the motion of single atoms in optical tweezers would enable new applications in quantum information science. To demonstrate this, we first prepared atoms in their motional ground state using a species-agnostic cooling mechanism…

Record-breaking performance in data security achieved with quantum mechanics

A joint team of researchers led by scientists at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) has reported the fastest quantum random number generator (QRNG) to date based on international benchmarks. The QRNG, which passed the required randomness tests of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, could produce random numbers at a rate nearly a thousand times faster than other QRNG.

“This is a significant leap for any industry that depends on strong data security,” said KAUST Professor Boon Ooi, who led the study, which is published in Optics Express. KAUST Professor Osman Bakr also contributed to the study.

Random number generators are critical for industries that depend on security, such as health, finance, and defense. But the random number generators currently used are vulnerable because of an intrinsic flaw in their design.

University of Arizona scientists unveil breakthrough petahertz-speed transistor

A team of scientists has unveiled a breakthrough that could one day propel computers to operate at speeds millions of times faster than today’s most advanced processors.

The discovery, led by researchers at the University of Arizona and their international collaborators, centers on harnessing ultrafast pulses of light to control the movement of electrons in graphene – a material just one atom thick.

The research, recently published in Nature Communications, demonstrates that electrons can be made to bypass barriers almost instantaneously by firing laser pulses lasting less than a trillionth of a second at graphene. This phenomenon, known as quantum tunneling, has long intrigued physicists, but the team’s ability to observe and manipulate it in real time marks a significant milestone.