From underground exploration to brain science and air-traffic control, the sensing potential of quantum devices is enormous. But they must first get out of the laboratory.
Category: quantum physics – Page 463
Stretching metals at the atomic level allows researchers to create important materials for quantum applications
A University of Minnesota Twin Cities-led team has developed a first-of-its-kind, breakthrough method that makes it easier to create high-quality metal oxide thin films out of “stubborn” metals that have historically been difficult to synthesize in an atomically precise manner. This research paves the way for scientists to develop better materials for various next-generation applications including quantum computing, microelectronics, sensors, and energy catalysis.
The researchers’ paper is published in Nature Nanotechnology.
“This is truly remarkable discovery, as it unveils an unparalleled and simple way for navigating material synthesis at the atomic scale by harnessing the power of epitaxial strain,” said Bharat Jalan, senior author on the paper and a professor and Shell Chair in the University of Minnesota Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science.
Bridging Quantum Theory and Relativity: Curved Spacetime in a Quantum Simulator
New techniques can answer questions that were previously inaccessible experimentally — including questions about the relationship between quantum mechanics and relativity.
Scientists at TU Wien and other institutions have developed a “quantum simulator” using ultracold atomic clouds to model quantum particles in curved spacetime, marking a major step toward reconciling quantum theory and the theory of relativity. The model system offers a tool to study gravitational lensing effects in a quantum field, which may lead to new insights in the elusive field of quantum gravity and other areas of physics.
The theory of relativity works well when you want to explain cosmic-scale phenomena — such as the gravitational waves.
Hello, Computer — Sabine Hossenfelder — A.I. going mainstream
Perspective from a very-educated layman. Er, laywoman.
This is Hello, Computer, a series of interviews carried out in 2023 at a time when artificial intelligence appears to be going everywhere, all at once.
Sabine Hossenfelder is a German theoretical physicist, science communicator, author, musician, and YouTuber. She is the author of Lost in Math: How beauty leads physics astray, which explores the concept of elegance in fundamental physics and cosmology, and of Existential Physics: A scientist’s guide to life’s biggest questions.
Sabine has published more than 80 research papers in the foundations of physics, from cosmology to quantum foundations and particle physics. Her writing has appeared in Scientific American, Nautilus, The New York Times, and The Guardian.
Sabine also works as a freelance popular science writer and runs the YouTube channel Science Without the Gobbledygook, where she talks about recent scientific developments and debunks hype, and a separate YouTube channel for music she writes and records.
A new place for consciousness in our understanding of the universe
To make sense of mysteries like quantum mechanics and the passage of time, theorists are trying to reformulate physics to include subjective experience as a physical constituent of the world.
Quantum Biology: Unlocking the Mysteries of How Life Works
Quantum biology explores how quantum effects influence biological processes, potentially leading to breakthroughs in medicine and biotechnology. Despite the assumption that quantum effects rapidly disappear in biological systems, research suggests these effects play a key role in physiological processes. This opens up the possibility of manipulating these processes to create non-invasive, remote-controlled therapeutic devices. However, achieving this requires a new, interdisciplinary approach to scientific research.
Imagine using your cell phone to control the activity of your own cells to treat injuries and diseases. It sounds like something from the imagination of an overly optimistic science fiction writer. But this may one day be a possibility through the emerging field of quantum biology.
Over the past few decades, scientists have made incredible progress in understanding and manipulating biological systems at increasingly small scales, from protein folding to genetic engineering. And yet, the extent to which quantum effects influence living systems remains barely understood.
Using nanofaceting to manipulate quantum dots into nanocrystals
A new method of controlling the shape of tiny particles about one tenth of the width of human hair could make the technology that powers our daily lives more stable and more efficient, scientists claim.
The process, which transforms the structure of microscopic semiconductor materials known as quantum dots, provides industry with opportunities to optimize optoelectronics, energy harvesting, photonics, and biomedical imaging technologies, according to the Cardiff University-led team.
Their study, published in Nano Letters, used a process called nanofaceting—the formation of small, flat surfaces on nanoparticles—to manipulate the quantum dots into a variety of shapes called nanocrystals.