Quantum computing building blocks
Monday, July 24, 2017 - 08:32
in Physics & Chemistry
For decades scientists have known that a quantum computer—a device that stores and manipulates information in quantum objects such as atoms or photons—could theoretically perform certain calculations far faster than today's computing schemes. But building the "parts" for a quantum computer is a monumental research task. One promising approach involves using the quantum "spin" property of nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamonds to store and process data. But properly placing these centers is a major challenge. Recently researchers constructed chains of NV centers in diamond with more precision than any previous effort.