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Direct measurement of a spatially varying thermal bath using Brownian motion

Micromechanical resonator performance is fundamentally limited by the coupling to a thermal environment. The magnitude of this thermodynamical effect is typically considered in accordance with a physical temperature, assumed to be uniform across the resonator’s physical span. However, in some circumstances, e.g., quantum optomechanics or interferometric gravitational wave detection, the temperature of the resonator may not be uniform, resulting in the resonator being thermally linked to a spatially varying thermal bath. In this case, the link of a mode of interest to its thermal environment is less straightforward to understand. Here, we engineer a distributed bath on a germane optomechanical platform—a phononic crystal—and utilize both highly localized and extended resonator modes to probe the spatially varying bath in entirely different bath regimes.

Adaptively partitioned analog quantum simulation on near-term quantum computers: The nonclassical free-induction decay of NV centers in diamond

The idea of simulating quantum physics with controllable quantum devices had been proposed several decades ago. With the extensive development of quantum technology, large-scale simulation, such as the analog quantum simulation tailoring an artificial Hamiltonian mimicking the system of interest, has been implemented on elaborate quantum experimental platforms. However, due to the limitations caused by the significant noises and the connectivity, analog simulation is generically infeasible on near-term quantum computing platforms. Here we propose an alternative analog simulation approach on near-term quantum devices. Our approach circumvents the limitations by adaptively partitioning the bath into several groups based on the performance of the quantum devices.

Quantum Wonders: Atomic Dance Transforms Crystal Into a Magnet

Researchers at Rice University found that chiral phonons in a crystal can magnetize the material, aligning electron spins in a way similar to the effect of a strong magnetic field. This discovery challenges established notions in physics, particularly the concept of time-reversal symmetry, and paves the way for advanced research in quantum materials.

Quantum materials hold the key to a future of lightning-speed, energy-efficient information systems. The problem with tapping their transformative potential is that, in solids, the vast number of atoms often drowns out the exotic quantum properties electrons carry.

Rice University researchers in the lab of quantum materials scientist Hanyu Zhu found that when they move in circles, atoms can also work wonders: When the atomic lattice in a rare-earth crystal becomes animated with a corkscrew-shaped vibration known as a chiral phonon, the crystal is transformed into a magnet.

Revolutionizing CRISPR: Quantum Biology and AI Merge to Enhance Genome Editing

Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s research in quantum biology and AI has significantly improved the efficiency of CRISPR Cas9 genome editing in microbes, aiding in renewable energy development.

Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) used their expertise in quantum biology, artificial intelligence, and bioengineering to improve how CRISPR Cas9 genome editing tools work on organisms like microbes that can be modified to produce renewable fuels and chemicals.

CRISPR is a powerful tool for bioengineering, used to modify genetic code to improve an organism’s performance or to correct mutations. The CRISPR Cas9 tool relies on a single, unique guide RNA.

Quantum computer emulated by a classical system

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(Phys.org)—Quantum computers are inherently different from their classical counterparts because they involve quantum phenomena, such as superposition and entanglement, which do not exist in classical digital computers. But in a new paper, physicists have shown that a classical analog computer can be used to emulate a quantum computer, along with quantum superposition and entanglement, with the result that the fully classical system behaves like a true quantum computer.

Physicist Brian La Cour and electrical engineer Granville Ott at Applied Research Laboratories, The University of Texas at Austin (ARL: UT), have published a paper on the classical emulation of a quantum computer in a recent issue of The New Journal of Physics. Besides having fundamental interest, using classical systems to emulate quantum computers could have practical advantages, since such quantum emulation devices would be easier to build and more robust to decoherence compared with true quantum computers.

“We hope that this work removes some of the mystery and ‘weirdness’ associated with quantum computing by providing a concrete, classical analog,” La Cour told Phys.org. “The insights gained should help develop exciting new technology in both classical analog computing and true quantum computing.”

Squeezing the Universe: LIGO Breaks the Quantum Limit

In 2015, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, or LIGO

The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) is a large-scale physics experiment and observatory supported by the National Science Foundation and operated by Caltech and MIT. It’s designed to detect cosmic gravitational waves and to develop gravitational-wave observations as an astronomical tool. It’s multi-kilometer-scale gravitational wave detectors use laser interferometry to measure the minute ripples in space-time caused by passing gravitational waves. It consists of two widely separated interferometers within the United States—one in Hanford, Washington and the other in Livingston, Louisiana.

3 Quantum Computing Stocks To Make You The Millionaire Next Door

Have you ever wished you could go back in time and invest in trailblazing companies like Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), or Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) before they hit it big? Well, you may just have that chance again today with quantum computing stocks.

The futuristic field of quantum computing has faced some bumps on its road to mainstream adoption lately. The recent Nasdaq correction has hit many once-hot quantum computing stocks hard. But this correction also presents a golden buying opportunity for investors who take the long view.

Quantum Leap (with Sean Carroll)

Sean Carroll is a theoretical physicist who serves as a Homewood Professor of Natural Philosophy at Johns Hopkins University. Carroll strives to convey complicated physics concepts in accessible terms on his Mindscape podcast and in his popular books, including last year’s The Biggest Ideas in the Universe: Space, Time, and Motion. He joins Preet to talk about the relationship between science and philosophy, how to comprehend quantum mechanics, and whether there are billions of similar universes operating alongside our own.

Plus, Special Counsel David Weiss’s testimony in front of the House Judiciary Committee about the Hunter Biden prosecution and Trump’s reported plan to use the Department of Justice for revenge if he retakes the presidency.

Don’t miss the Insider bonus, where Preet and Carroll talk more about depictions of time travel in Hollywood films. To listen, become a member of CAFE Insider for $1 for the first month. Head to cafe.com/insider.

Study leverages chiral phonons for transformative quantum effect

Quantum materials hold the key to a future of lightning-speed, energy-efficient information systems. The problem with tapping their transformative potential is that in solids, the vast number of atoms often drowns out the exotic quantum properties electrons carry.

Rice University researchers in the lab of quantum materials scientist Hanyu Zhu found that when they move in circles, atoms can also work wonders: When the in a rare-earth crystal becomes animated with a corkscrew-shaped vibration known as a chiral phonon, the crystal is transformed into a magnet.

According to a new study published in Science, exposing cerium fluoride to ultrafast pulses of light sends its atoms into a dance that momentarily enlists the spins of electrons, causing them to align with the atomic rotation. This alignment would otherwise require a powerful magnetic field to activate, since cerium fluoride is naturally paramagnetic with randomly oriented spins even at zero temperature.

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