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In the same way that cream blends into coffee, transforming it from a whirl of white to a uniform brown, quantum computer chips face a challenge.

These devices operate on the minuscule scale of the universes fundamental particles, where data can quickly become chaotic, limiting memory efficiency.

However, new research spearheaded by Rahul Nandkishore, an associate professor of physics at the University of Colorado Boulder, suggests a groundbreaking approach that could revolutionize data retention in quantum computing.

Nandkishore and his team, through mathematical modeling, propose a scenario akin to cream and coffee that never mix, regardless of how much they are stirred.

This concept, if realized, could lead to significant advancements in quantum computer chips, providing engineers with novel methods for storing data in extremely small scales.

Nandkishore, the senior author of the study, illustrates his idea using the familiar sight of cream swirling in coffee, imagining these patterns remaining dynamic indefinitely.

Think of the initial swirling patterns that appear when you add cream to your morning coffee, said Nandkishore. Imagine if these patterns continued to swirl and dance no matter how long you watched.

This concept is central to the study, which involved David Stephen and Oliver Hart, postdoctoral researchers in physics at CU Boulder.

Quantum computers differ fundamentally from classical computers. While the latter operate on bits (zeros or ones), quantum computers use qubits, which can exist as zero, one, or both simultaneously.

Despite their potential, qubits can easily become disordered, leading to a loss of coherent data, much like the inevitable blending of cream into coffee.

Nandkishore and his teams solution lies in arranging qubits in specific patterns that maintain their information even under disturbances, like magnetic fields.

This could be a way of storing information, he said. You would write information into these patterns, and the information couldnt be degraded.

This arrangement could allow for the creation of devices with quantum memory, where data, once written into these patterns, remains uncorrupted.

The researchers employed mathematical models to envision an array of hundreds to thousands of qubits in a checkerboard pattern.

They discovered that tightly packing qubits influences their neighboring qubits behavior, akin to a crowded phone booth where movement is severely limited.

This specific arrangement might enable the patterns to flow around a quantum chip without degrading, much like the enduring swirls of cream in a cup of coffee.

Nandkishore notes that this studys implications extend beyond quantum computing.

The wonderful thing about this study is that we discovered that we could understand this fundamental phenomenon through what is almost simple geometry, Nandkishore said.

It challenges the common understanding that everything in the universe, from coffee to oceans, moves toward thermal equilibrium, where differences in temperature eventually even out, like ice melting in a warm drink.

His findings suggest that certain matter organizations might resist this equilibrium, potentially defying some long-standing physical laws.

While further experimentation is necessary to validate these theoretical swirls, the study represents a significant stride in the quest to create materials that stay out of equilibrium for extended periods.

This pursuit, known as ergodicity breaking, could redefine our understanding of statistical physics and its application to everyday phenomena.

As Nandkishore puts it, while we wont need to rewrite the math for ice and water, there are scenarios where traditional statistical physics might not apply, opening new frontiers in quantum computing and beyond.

The full study was published in the journal Physical Review Letters.

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Coffee, creamer, and the Quantum Realm - Earth.com

L3Harris successfully completed its Critical Design Review (CDR) and Production Readiness Review (PRR) for 16 missile tracking satellites that will be part of the Space Development Agencys (SDA) Tranche 1 Tracking Layer (T1TRK) program.

Hypersonic missiles pose a serious threat to global stability and security because they are hard to detect, track, and intercept. They can be launched from various locations and can change direction rapidly during flight. To deter their use and, when needed, to defeat them, the United States requires a resilient sensor platform to track their movements and ensure the countrys national security.

The recent CDR and PRR milestones achieved by L3Harris demonstrate progress towards SDAs Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, which aims to establish a network of military satellites in low-Earth orbit to provide enhanced situational awareness and tracking capabilities. The CDR milestone demonstrates that L3Harris design will meet the mission requirements, while the PRR provides L3Harris with the SDAs approval to begin the full production process.

The Tranche 1 Tracking Layer developed by L3Harris relies on infrared sensors and advanced algorithms to detect, track, and fuse threat data. The information is then relayed in real-time to the warfighter through a meshed network that employs both optical and RF communications.

In addition, the space vehicles can be commanded from the ground to a range of pointing modes that provide further insight into threat tracks. L3Harris also provides supporting ground, operations, and sustainment throughout the lifespan of the program.

L3Harris is working hard to meet launch schedule commitments for their missile-tracking satellites. They started fabrication of critical sub-assemblies before the CDR and PRR and have successfully transitioned to the assembly and integration phase. Theyre working with over 20 major subcontractors and dozens of suppliers to provide critical parts for the satellites and ground systems.

The satellites are slated for launch in 2025 and will feature advanced technology designed to counter the fastest, most maneuverable hypersonic missiles.

L3Harris is working in lockstep with the SDA to get these critical capabilities on-orbit and into the hands of the nations warfighters as quickly as possible, L3Harris Director of Program Management Bob De Cort said in the statement. The SDA takes a fundamentally fresh and different approach than traditional defense contracting. Rather than investing schedule and funds in single point solutions, the SDA acquisition plan breaks from tradition to use spiral development leveraging interoperable commercial technologies to deploy tranches of satellites every couple of years.

De Cort continued, Our recent success at CDR and PRR show that we are the leading partner within SDAs Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, demonstrating not just missile warning and tracking but the beyond line of sight targeting that the warfighters need to enhance Americas strategic deterrence from space.

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New error correction approach simplifies quantum computing - Inceptive Mind

Researchers at EPFL make significant advances in quantum physics by exposing a peculiar and enigmatic behavior in a quantum magnetic material and providing hints about potential future technological developments.

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The world of quantum materials is a mysterious place where things do not always behave as expected. These materials can perform tasks in ways that traditional materials cannot, such as conducting electricity without loss or having magnetic properties that may prove useful in advanced technologies. These unique properties are governed by the laws of quantum mechanics.

Certain quantum materials have minute magnetic waves, known as magnons, circulating through them. These waves exhibit peculiar behaviors. Gaining an understanding of magnons is essential for deciphering the microscopic workings of magnets, which will be important for the development of next-generation computers and electronics.

Up until recently, researchers believed they understood what to expect from the studies of these magnons behavior in strong magnetic fields. Researchers at EPFL, led by Henrik Rnnow and Frdric Mila, have revealed a new and unexpected behavior in strontium copper borate (SrCu2(BO3)2), a quantum material. Although the study casts doubt on what is already known about quantum physics, it also raises intriguing possibilities for next-generation technologies.

But why this particular content? SrCu2(BO3)2 is significant in the field of quantum materials, though the specifics are highly technical. This is because it is the only known real-world example of the Shastry-Sutherland model, a theoretical framework for comprehending structures where atoms' interactions and arrangement prevent them from settling into a simple, ordered state.

Known as highly frustrated lattices, these structures frequently endow the quantum material with complex, peculiar behaviors and characteristics. Therefore, SrCu2(BO3)2 is a perfect candidate to study intricate quantum phenomena and transitions due to its unique structure.

Neutron scattering is a method that the scientists used to study the magnons in SrCu2(BO3)2. In essence, they exposed the material to neutrons and measured how many of them deflected off of it. Since neutrons have no charge and can therefore analyze magnetism without being affected by the charge of the materials electrons or nuclei, neutron scattering is especially useful in the study of magnetic materials.

This work was done at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin's high-field neutron scattering facility, which could probe fields as high as 25.9 Tesla. This level of magnetic field study was unprecedented and allowed the scientists to see the behavior of the magnons up close.

Subsequently, the scientists integrated the data with cylinder matrix-product-states computations, an effective computational technique that supported the experimental findings from the neutron scattering and clarified the two-dimensional quantum behaviors of the material.

The novel method disclosed a startling finding: the material's magnons were forming bound states, or pairing up to dance, rather than acting as single, independent unities as would have been predicted.

The spin-nematic phase, a novel and unexpected quantum state with ramifications for the materials properties, is the result of this peculiar pairing. Imagine it like this: unlike regular magnets on a fridge, which point either way (that is their spin), the focus of this new phase is on how the magnets align with one another to form a distinctive pattern rather than on their direction of orientation.

This is a fascinating finding. It exposes a previously unseen behavior in magnetic materials. This discovery of a hidden law of quantum mechanics may open our minds to previously unconsidered uses of magnetic materials in quantum technologies.

The research was funded by the European Research Council (ERC) Synergy network HERO, the

Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), and the Qatar Foundation.

More from AZoQuantum: Quantum-Inspired Noise-Resistant Phase Imaging

Fogh, E., et al. (2024) Field-induced bound-state condensation and spin-nematic phase in SrCu2(BO3)2 revealed by neutron scattering up to 25.9 T. Nature Communications. doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-44115-z

Source: https://www.epfl.ch/en/

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Unexpected Pairing Paves the Way for Computing Devices - AZoQuantum

His inaugural lecture took place early last month; in practice, Pepijn Pinkse has been working as a professor of quantum technology at the University of Twente (UT) for several years. His lecture focused on creating awareness around quantum security and the threat posed by quantum technology. The best time to get quantum security right was yesterday, he said.

Quantum security is crucial to the future of privacy and data security. Professor Pepijn Pinkse, a pioneer at the University of Twente, is developing groundbreaking methods to secure data in an unbreakable way. Twente leads the world when it comes to quantum technology.

See this laser beam? Its a neat bundle of light waves falling in line. Pinkse holds an A4 sheet in front of the camera on which he shines a laser pointer. If I put a piece of tape on the laser, you can see that a complex pattern of speckles forms in the light. As soon as you add five photons to that pattern, they distribute themselves among the speckles. We use the combination of quantum light light with a small number of photons and a complex pattern to read out a key.

Or, in other words, Pinkse has developed a key that cannot be copied, even when someone has all the information. The key is verified by shining a light pulse on it with fewer photons (light particles) than there are spatial degrees of freedom (speckles). The professors contribution was instrumental in inventing this Quantum-Secure Authentication method, which was largely developed in Twente.

Developing authentication methods is so important because the advent of quantum computers poses risks to data security. Once quantum computers are powerful and reliable enough, most current cryptographic security methods of the Internet and data files will be vulnerable overnight.

Quantum computers operate on a different principle than classical computers. The main difference is the fundamental unit of information, or bit. The conventional digital bit knows no more than two states 0 or 1 and thus performs calculations incrementally. The information unit of a quantum computer qubit can be in both states simultaneously. This condition is referred to as superposition. Because of this parallel mode of operation, the computation time on a quantum computer grows much less rapidly with the size of the problem, and in the future, they can solve complex tasks that are too difficult for classical computers, Pinkse explains.

Pinkse studied physics at Leiden University and received his doctorate from the University of Amsterdam. He spent ten years at the renowned Max-Planck Institute for Quantum Optics. In 2009, he transferred to UT, where he did pioneering work on quantum secure authentication. He received a Vici grant, the Dutch Research Councils (NWO) highest personal grant, for his research in 2013. Since 2019, Pinkse has been a professor of Adaptive Quantum Optics. He is also the director of the center for Quantum NanoTechnology Twente (QUANT) and co-founder of spin-off Quix-Qantum.

Most of our current cryptography, think of Internet banking, for example, is based on the fact that you can easily multiply two large prime numbers together, Pinkse explains. Making the sum the other way around is difficult.

Prime numbers are divisible only by 1 and themselves, such as 7, 11, or 61; numbers like 6 and 15 are not. Consider the following calculation: 71 x 61 = 4331. Determining which multiplication 4331 is the result is much more difficult because you have to try numerous options.

Pinkse: The Shor algorithm can make that reverse computation efficiently, although it needs a large and good universal quantum computer to do so. As a result, much of our encrypted data is no longer secure.

This is not yet the case, as quantum computers currently have a small number of memory elements (qubits) and are noisy. The professor expects that it will be about ten years before Q-day the day when current cryptographic security systems succumb to the pressure of quantum computers happens. But that doesnt mean we shouldnt take action now, Pinkse warns. If in ten years there is a working universal quantum computer that can decipher eavesdropped messages from today, we need to start protecting against it now with encryption techniques that cannot be broken even then.

Quantum technology has long been used in semiconductors, lasers, and MRI scanners. Even smartphones and the Internet would not exist without this technology. However, these applications do not (yet) use quantum information based on specific properties of quantum particles, such as entanglement. Applications Pinkse talks about in this article aka Quantum Technology 2.0 do.

Besides the risks involved in this elusive technology, the potential is huge. Pinske: Quantum computers can help us understand chemical reactions much better and be able to make smarter batteries and more effective medicines. Quantum is a key technology for the energy transition and health care.

The first universal prototype of a quantum computer might come out of Twente. At UT spin-off Quix Quantum, of which Pinkse is a co-founder they are developing a universal quantum computer. The company hopes to have the prototype ready in three years; the computer has already been sold to the German center for aerospace. Twentes quantum computer runs on light and is leading the way in Europe. Pinkse: The American competitor PsiQuantum has raised hundreds of millions in investments but has not sold anything yet.

Whereas commerce was often a dirty word in the early years of his career, at UT, it is anything but such. At many institutes and universities, commerce is an afterthought that distracts from the science itself. Here, the emphasis is very much on the contribution you can make to society through your research. That makes my work incredibly fun.

Quandela takes the quantum computer from lab to fab for first time

Quandelas new factory, South of Paris, will produce three machines in six months instead of one currently.

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Quantum technology professor Pepijn Pinkse: The best time to get quantum security right was yesterday. - Innovation Origins

In recent times, the fascination with quantum computing has surged, driven by technological advancements and a notable uptick in investments. More and more companies and institutes are performing a comprehensive exploration of the quantum-computing landscape and searching for use cases. Along these lines, investors are seeking to better understand quantum computing stocks and how they will affect various sectors.

For instance, there has been a lot of focus on the pharmaceutical industry in recent years. This industry has been affected by quantum computing through the recruitment of quantum scientists. They have set out to explore potential applications like quantum simulation in drug design.

Moreover, quantum technology holds significant implications for the financial-services sector. Particularly in the realm of security, signifying its potential to reshape how businesses and industries operate.

Here are three leading quantum computing stocks that could lead the next tech revolution.

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International Business Machines (NASDAQ:IBM) is probably the safest bet on quantum computing. And arguably one of the top quantum computation stocks one should own. IBM operates in various domains, including cloud computing, artificial intelligence and data analytics.

With a global presence, IBM provides solutions and services to enterprises, leveraging its expertise in cutting-edge technologies. Most recently, the company has increased its focus on AI and machine learning applications.

Through the IBM Quantum Network, the company collaborates with over 250 Fortune 500 companies, universities, labs. and startups. The network fosters partnerships and providing exclusive access to meetings and channels. In addition, it also facilitates collaborative efforts and close interactions with IBMs internal experts.

Most recently, IBM introduced the IBM Quantum Heron, marking the first in a new series of utility-scale quantum processors. Engineered over four years, it boasts IBMs highest performance metrics and lowest error rates among its quantum processors.

Furthermore, IBM unveiled the Quantum System Two, its inaugural modular quantum computer. The system is operational with three IBM Heron processors and associated control electronics, representing a significant step in IBMs quantum-centric supercomputing architecture.

Source: Bartlomiej K. Wroblewski / Shutterstock.com

Quantum Computing (NASDAQ:QUBT) is the pure-play name to own in the quantum computing sector. QUBT aims to provide widely accessible and cost-effective quantum solutions for real-world business applications.

The companys model is based on vendor-neutral software and ready-to-run systems. These offer business users immediate access to various quantum processing units and quantum technologies.

The acquisition of QPhoton, a quantum photonics innovation company, enhances QUBTs capabilities with a series of quantum photonic systems (QPS). The integration of Quantums flagship software, Qatalyst, with QPhotons QPS positions the company to provide a widely accessible and cost-effective quantum solution.

Quantum achieved a significant milestone recently in commercializing its cutting-edge computing technologies, securing hardware sales of its Reservoir Computer and Quantum Random Number Generator. The Reservoir Computer reportedly exhibits exceptional speed and efficiency. These properties allows it to enhance data analysis and machine learning as well as other applications.

In Q3 2023, QUBT reported an earnings per share negative 11 cents. While this metric was up over 50% year-over-year, the aforementioned technological milestones are anticipated to bring a further boost to EPS, and QUBTs future prospects overall.

Source: Asif Islam / Shutterstock.com

The Redmond-based tech titan has made significant efforts in the last decade to diversify its product family and become less dependent on the sales of software products. In addition to cloud, gaming and AI, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) has also made significant strides to improve its understanding of quantum computing technology.

For instance, the company works to highlight its work on Azure Quantum. Azures aim is to achieve scalability towards the realization of a general-purpose quantum computer. Along these lines, Azure Quantum applications are crafted to empower quantum chemists and scientists in their research endeavors.

More precisely, the tech giant says it is actively working to achieve quantum at scale by developing a stable qubit, and introducing a comprehensive, fault-tolerant quantum machine to Azure. To aid these efforts MSFT is working with a long-term approach through its lab at the University of Sydney. The lab is trying to develop quantum computers at the scale needed for applications with real impact. The project is headed by Dr. David Reilly, who has already developed a cryogenic quantum control platform.

On the date of publication, Shane Neagle did not hold (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.

Shane Neagle is fascinated by the ways in which technology is poised to disrupt investing. He specializes in fundamental analysis and growth investing.

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3 Stocks Leading the Quantum Computing Revolution - InvestorPlace