Tag: nanotechnology

Isn’t quantum computing a loneliness problem? Not the loneliness of the researchers (though I’m sure those late nights in the lab can be isolating). I’m talking about the loneliness of quantum bits themselves. See, quantum computers are like islands, powerful, sophisticated islands, but islands nonetheless. A single quantum processor might hold thousands of qubits, which sounds impressive until you realize that the really transformative applications people dream about, the ones that could crack previously unsolvable problems, might need millions or even billions of qubits working together.

Researchers at MIT have built a small chip that can generate terahertz waves more effectively and more affordably than what’s currently out there. That’s huge, ‘cause terahertz waves sit between radio and infrared on the electromagnetic spectrum, so they can carry more data than radio waves and see through more materials than infrared light. This makes them a promising candidate for faster wireless communication, sharper medical imaging, better security scanners, and smarter environmental monitoring.

Have you ever watched two kids on swings, tied together by a spring? When one swings, the other starts moving too. That’s how scientists often imagine the relationship between light and matter at the quantum level. They call this a coupling , a way for two systems to influence each other.

Researchers at Duke University have discovered the intricate molecular details of a material that might just be the key to next-generation rechargeable batteries. It’s called the superionic material. The compound displays both solid and liquid properties. How? It retains its solid structure, however, the ions within it move as freely as they would in a liquid.