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ACM TechNews
Quantum Computer Gets Closer: Quantum Particles Pinned Down
Scientists at the Delft University of Technology were able to gain control over the environment of a quantum particle, which is a key step in the potential development of a quantum computer.
The environment of a quantum particle consists of other quantum particles that push and pull its spin and prevent it from staying in one specific state for any significant length of time. The team at Delft's Kavli Institute for Nanosciences had already used a quantum dot — a quantum-scale box — to direct the spin of an electron. Now, the researchers have applied an electrical current to the nano-box, which enabled them to influence the spins of other quantum particles in the environment.
Directing the electrical current to the nano-box resulted in a situation in which the spins in the environment did not occur at random. By stabilizing the environment of a quantum particle, researchers will be able to keep a quantum particle in different states at the same time, or superposition, for a longer period.
From Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO)
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Abstracts Copyright © 2009 Information Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, USA 
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