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Category: quantum physics – Page 98

Over the past few years, some researchers have been working on alternative energy storage systems that leverage the principles of quantum mechanics. These systems, known as quantum batteries, could be more efficient and compact than conventional battery technologies, while also achieving faster charging times.

In a recent paper published in Physical Review Letters, a research group at University of Genova introduced a new spin quantum battery, a battery that leverages the spin degrees of freedom of particles to store and release energy. This battery is charged in a unique and advantageous way, without the need for an external field.

“Quantum many-body theory and non-equilibrium physics are traditional topics in the quantum condensed matter theory group led by Maura Sassetti at University of Genova,” Dario Ferraro, senior author of the paper, told Phys.org.

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Researchers at the University of Chicago have developed a new method for enhancing quantum information systems by integrating trapped atom arrays with photonic devices.

This innovation allows for scalable quantum computing and networking by overcoming previous technological incompatibilities. The design features a semi-open chip that minimizes interference and enhances atom connectivity, promising significant advances in computational speed and interconnectivity for larger quantum systems.

Merging technologies for enhanced quantum computing.

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Since it was first demonstrated in the 1960s, spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) has been at the center of many quantum optics experiments that test the fundamental laws of physics in quantum mechanics, and in applications like quantum simulation, quantum cryptography, and quantum metrology.

SPDC is the spontaneous splitting of a photon into two after it passes through a nonlinear object like certain crystals. The process is nonlinear and instantaneous, and the two output photons (called the signal photon and idler photon) satisfy conservation of energy and momentum compared to the input photon (the pump photon). SPDC is often used with a specially designed crystal to create pairs of entangled photons.

A research team from Canada has discovered that there is a delay between the detection of the two output photons, one that depends on the intensity of the incoming light that impacts the crystal. They call this a “gain-induced group delay.”

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Free-space optical communication links promise better security and increase bandwidths but can suffer from noise in daylight. This is particularly detrimental in quantum communications where current mitigation techniques, such as spectral, temporal, and spatial filtering, are not yet sufficient to make daylight tolerable for satellite quantum key distribution (SatQKD). As all current SatQKD systems are polarization-encoded, polarization filtering has not been investigated. However, by using time-and phase-encoded SatQKD, it is possible to filter in polarization in addition to existing domains. Scattered daylight can be more than 90% polarized in the visible band, yielding a reduction in detected daylight between 3 dB and 13 dB, such that polarization filtering can reduce the brightness of 780 nm daylight to below the unfiltered equivalent at 1,550 nm. Simulations indicate that polarization filtering increases the secure key rate and allows for SatQKD to be performed at dawn and dusk. This could open the way for daylight SatQKD utilizing shorter near-infrared wavelengths and retaining their benefits.

Published by Optica Publishing Group under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI.

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Physicists from the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) have developed an innovative computing system using laser beams and everyday display technology, marking a significant leap forward in the quest for more powerful quantum computing solutions.

The breakthrough, achieved by researchers at the university’s Structured Light Lab, offers a simpler and more cost-effective approach to advanced quantum computing by harnessing the unique properties of light. This development could potentially speed up complex calculations in fields such as logistics, finance and artificial intelligence. The research was published in the journal APL Photonics as the editor’s pick.

“Traditional computers work like switchboards, processing information as simple yes or no decisions. Our approach uses to process multiple possibilities simultaneously, dramatically increasing computing power,” says Dr. Isaac Nape, the Optica Emerging Leader Chair in Optics at Wits.

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Theoretical physicists have established a close connection between the two rapidly developing fields in theoretical physics, quantum information theory and non-invertible symmetries in particle and condensed matter theories, after proving that any non-invertible symmetry operation in theoretical physics is a quantum operation. The study was published in Physical Review Letters as an Editors’ Suggestion on November 6.

In physics, symmetry provides an important clue to the properties of a theory. For example, if the N-poles in a are replaced by the S-poles, and the S-poles by the N-poles all at once, the forces on objects and the energy stored in the magnetic field remain the same, even though the direction of the magnetic field has now become reversed. This is because the equations describing the magnetic field are symmetric with respect to the operation of swapping the N and S poles.

Over the past few years, the concept of symmetries has received generalization in various directions in the theoretical study of particle physics and condensed matter physics, becoming an active area of research. One such generalization is non-invertible symmetry. The operation of conventional symmetries is always invertible. There exists a reverse operation to undo it. Non-invertible symmetry, on the other hand, allows certain non-invertibility in such symmetry operations.

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In the study of temporal mechanics, we have to venture beyond the confines of traditional objective science to incorporate the profound role of consciousness in shaping our understanding of time. The evidence and theories discussed throughout my upcoming paper (to be released as a Kindle eBook) suggest that the flow of time is not simply a physical phenomenon dictated by the laws of thermodynamics or the spacetime continuum, but rather a deeply psychological one, intertwined with consciousness itself. Time, as we experience it, emerges from our awareness of ongoing change—a continuous psychological construct that weaves our perceptions into a coherent narrative of past, present, and future.

The implications of this perspective are far-reaching. If the flow of time is indeed a function of consciousness, then time cannot be fully understood without accounting for the observer—the conscious entity whose perception of change gives rise to the experience of time. This challenges the classical notion of time as a separate, objective entity and places consciousness as a central player in the multidimensional matrix of reality.

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