Quantum Tech

Together with 24 German research institutions and companies, the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS is working on a quantum computer with improved error rates in the collaborative project QSolid coordinated by Forschungszentrum Jülich.

Just as electrons flow through an electrical conductor, magnetic excitations can travel through certain materials. Such excitations, known in physics as 'magnons' in analogy to the electron, could transport information much more easily than electrical conductors.

Air cargo traffic is expected to more than double and the world freighter fleet is forecast to grow by 75% over the next 20 years, significantly impacting emissions. The solution could be Virgin Hyperloop, a futuristic train service promising a new era of travel.

Commonly accredited to Leo Esaki in the 1960s, spintronics (short for 'spin transport electronics'), aka magnoelectronics, exploits the spin direction of electrons to benefit the power efficiency and memory (processing capabiities) of electronic devices. This article looks at various elements of spintronics, including its applications and most recent developments.

CEA, in collaboration with CNRS Néel, a team in SI-based quantum computing, presented two papers on that topic at IEDM 2021, including an invited paper that identifies the material and integration challenges facing large-scale Si quantum computing.

While the number of qubits and the stability of quantum states are still limiting current quantum computing devices, there are questions where these processors are already able to leverage their computing power.

Xanadu and imec have announced a partnership to develop the next-gen of photonic qubits based on ultra-low loss silicon nitride (SiN) waveguides, the partnership is to fabricate low loss and uniform silicon nitride circuits for error corrected qubits. 

Keysight Technologies has added to its quantum portfolio with the acquisition of Quantum Benchmark, a supplier of error diagnostics, error suppression and performance validation software for quantum computing. 

How do you determine what is going on when you can’t actually see the components in the system you are investigating? This is the challenge when investigating the quantum behaviour of electrons in a lattice of ions. The solution being created by the Physics Department at the University of San Diego, California is to build a model that is slightly larger with observable components of single atoms moving in an optical lattice.

Launched in late 2018, Nu Quantum recently became an Associate Member of the EU-funded Graphene Flagship project. The startup, a spin off from the Cavendish Laboratory at Graphene Flagship partner the University of Cambridge, UK, specialises in single-photon quantum technology that is set to create unbreakable encryption keys.