Scientists take first step in ceramic-based quantum computers

One of the many challenges facing quantum computing is finding a practical material from which to process the quantum information -- the material must not be so exotic such that it becomes too prohibitive and expensive to use for mass calculations. That's why a recently discovered hidden magnetic "quantum order" in ceramic has scientists in such a tizzy. By heating or doping the material with a variety of impurities, scientists from the London Center for Nanotechnology have found a way to propagate magnetic excitations over long chains of atoms in the otherwise magnetically disordered material. Armed then, with the ability to break the chains into independent sub-chains, each with it's own hidden order, scientists have taken the first step towards engineering spin-based quantum states from ceramics. Right, the quantum analogy to those good ol' 1 and 0 state changes used by today's not-so-super computers.

[Thanks, Scott S.]

[nih @ Jul 30th 2007 9:14AM]

And I always laughed at the kids in the pottery class. :(

There may be egg on my face, but you'd have to look to find out. A man needs his pride! Leave my egg-face waveform uncollapsed, goddamnit!

[CommanderAce @ Jul 30th 2007 9:28AM]

Don't ya mean London 'Centre' for Nanotechnology? :p

[ypod @ Jul 30th 2007 12:03PM]

"By heating or doping the material with a variety of impurities, scientists from the London Center for Nanotechnology have found a way to propagate magnetic excitations over long chains of atoms in the otherwise magnetically disordered material. Armed then, with the ability to break the chains into independent sub-chains, each with it's own hidden order, scientists have taken the first step towards engineering spin-based quantum states from ceramics." WTF?


I guess we will just have to take their word for it, right?? Buzzwords = Funding = Fun 4 scientists

[fizzix @ Jul 30th 2007 12:54PM]

@ypod:

read up on some quantum theory and the idea behind the quantum computer before you make such an ignorant statement. this is a HUGE breakthrough in quantum computing.

[WillK @ Jul 30th 2007 1:44PM]

Geez... he was just having some fun. It seems like whenever somebody calls someone else ignorant in a post, well, they're... oh, nevermind.

[CharlieX @ Jul 30th 2007 2:29PM]

I doped myself with impurities once... didn't really have the same effect though...

[Ian @ Jul 30th 2007 4:36PM]

so does this mean that computing will be almost reinvented? and we wont be using old binary code anymore? (well when it finaly arrives) cuz that would be bomb.. but i dont really know about this so please tell me that im wrong(if i am).

[Kyle Simmons @ Jul 30th 2007 6:42PM]

Yeah, odds are we will still be talking in 1's and 0's, its just a question of how. There are already light-based computers, and quantum computing is just a really cool /fast way to "transfer" electrons.

[Tis---strange @ Jul 31st 2007 6:53AM]

Right now we won´t have any revolution at all... The next 50 years they will try to find out how to make that things stable and as fast as the "ordinary" computers. Quantum Computers have the possibility to be MUCH faster, but to get it done... It might take a while...