Category Physics

Scientists find that a tubular nanomaterial of carbon makes for ideal host to keep quantum bits spinning in place for use in quantum information technologies.

Scientists are vigorously competing to transform the counterintuitive discoveries about the quantum realm from a century past into technologies of the future. The building block in these technologies is the quantum bit, or qubit. Several different kinds are under development, including ones that use defects within the symmetrical structures of diamond and silicon. They may one day transform computing, accelerate drug discovery, generate unhackable networks and more.

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Wearable devices such as smartwatches, fitness trackers, and virtual reality headsets are becoming commonplace. They are powered by flexible electronics that consist of electrodes with plastic or metal foil as substrates. However, both of these come with their own drawbacks...

Physicists led by Roland Wester of the University of Innsbruck have now for the first time observed a quantum mechanical tunneling reaction in experiments. The observation can also be described exactly in theory. With the study published in Nature, the scientists provide an important reference for this fundamental effect in chemistry. It is the slowest reaction with charged particles ever observed.

Tunneling reactions in chemistry are very difficult to predict. The quantum mechanically exact description of chemical reactions with more than three particles is difficult, with more than four particles it is almost impossible. Theorists simulate these reactions with classical physics and must neglect quantum effects...

Cybercriminals are coming up with increasingly savvy ways to disrupt online services, access sensitive data or crash internet user’s devices. A cyberattack that has become very common over the past decades is the so-called Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack.

This type of attack involves a series of devices connected to the internet, which are collectively referred to as a “botnet.” This “group” of connected devices is then used to flood a target server or website with “fake” traffic, disrupting its operation and making it inaccessible to legitimate users.

To protect their website or servers from DDoS attacks, businesses and other users commonly use firewalls, anti-malware software or conventional intrusion detection syste...