quantum technology tagged posts

Quantum Breakthrough when Light makes Materials Magnetic

The laser light is circularly polarized. Image created by AI
The laser light is circularly polarized, i.e. the light has the shape of a “corkscrew”. When laser light with this type of polarization enters a material, it transfers its circular polarization to the atoms in it, by making them rotate and generate atomic currents. If the frequency of the light matches the frequency of vibration of the atoms, the effect is enhanced and a relatively large magnetism is generated. (AI generated image by Alexander Balatsky)

The potential of quantum technology is huge but is today largely limited to the extremely cold environments of laboratories...

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Quantum Technology could make Charging Electric Cars as Fast as Pumping Gas

A pictorial illustration of today’s electric vehicle versus the future vehicle based on quantum battery technologies. Employing quantum charging would lead to a 200 times speedup in a typical EV, which means that the charging time would be cut from 10 hours to about 3 minutes (at home), or 30 minutes to 9 seconds at a charging station. Image Credit: Institute for Basic Science.

Whether it’s photovoltaics or fusion, sooner or later, human civilization must turn to renewable energies. This is deemed inevitable, considering the ever-growing energy demands of humanity and the finite nature of fossil fuels. Much research has been pursued in order to develop alternative sources of energy, most of which use electricity as the main energy carrier...

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New Quantum Technology could help Diagnose and Treat Heart Condition

ECG
Heartbeat pulse (credit: Public Domain Pictures, source: Pixabay)

The conductivity of living organs, such as the heart, could be imaged non-invasively using quantum technology, which has the potential to revolutionize the diagnosis and treatment of atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a heart condition that causes an irregular and abnormally fast heart rate, potentially leading to blood clots, stroke, heart failure and other heart-related complications. While the causes of AF are unknown, it affects around one million people in the UK with cases predicted to rise at a great cost to the NHS.

Currently, AF is commonly diagnosed using an electrocardiogram (ECG), but this can only be done during an episode, so complementary means of diagnosis are needed.

AF is treated thr...

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A New Study Predicts a Quantum Goldilocks Effect

The 'just right' structure that emerges when you drive a system containing light and matter (like the universe), neither too fast nor too slow across a quantum phase transition. It illustrates the findings of the study titled "Enhanced dynamic light-matter entanglement from driving neither too fast nor too slow," published in the journal Physical Review. Credit: Oscar Acevedo, Universidad de los Andes, and Neil Johnson, University of Miami. The study is a collaboration between the Universidad de los Andes in Colombia and the University of Miami.

The ‘just right’ structure that emerges when you drive a system containing light and matter (like the universe), neither too fast nor too slow across a quantum phase transition. It illustrates the findings of the study titled “Enhanced dynamic light-matter entanglement from driving neither too fast nor too slow,” published in the journal Physical Review. Credit: Oscar Acevedo, Universidad de los Andes, and Neil Johnson, University of Miami. The study is a collaboration between the Universidad de los Andes in Colombia and the University of Miami.

By studying a system that couples matter and light together, like the universe, researchers have found crossing a quantum phase transition at intermediate speeds generates the richest, most complex structure...

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