Mining cryptocurrencies like bitcoin could be done using quantum computers, cutting their electricity use by 90 per cent.
By Alex Wilkins
Calculations show that nerve fibres in the brain could emit pairs of entangled particles, and this quantum phenomenon might explain how different parts of the brain work together.
Have you ever considered the possibility that our reality might be an intricately crafted computer simulation? There is a name for this theory — Simulation Hypothesis — and it is now being tested in quantum lab experiments.
Though it may initially resemble a plot from the latest sci-fi blockbuster, a dedicated group of researchers is rigorously exploring this intriguing concept.
They are investigating the philosophical implications and technological advancements that could render such a simulation plausible.
When two black holes collide, space and time shake and energy spreads out like ripples in a pond. These gravitational waves, predicted by Einstein in 1916, were observed for the first time by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) telescope in September 2015.
Dark energy remains among the greatest puzzles in our understanding of the cosmos. In the standard model of cosmology called the Lambda-CDM, it is accounted for by adding a cosmological constant term in Einstein’s field equation first introduced by Einstein himself. This constant is very small and positive and lacks a complete theoretical understanding of why it has such a tiny value. Moreover, dark energy has some peculiar features, such as negative pressure and does not dilute with cosmic expansion, which makes at least some of us uncomfortable.
Is nature really as strange as quantum theory says — or are there simpler explanations? Neutron measurements prove: It doesn’t work without the strange properties of quantum theory.
Quantum theory allows particles to exist in superposition states, defying classical realism. The Leggett-Garg inequality tests this by comparing quantum behavior against classical expectations. Recent neutron beam experiments at TU Wien confirmed that particles do violate this inequality, reinforcing the validity of quantum theory over classical explanations.
In traditional Japanese basket-weaving, the ancient “Kagome” design seen in many handcrafted creations is characterized by a symmetrical pattern of interlaced triangles with shared corners. In quantum physics, the Kagome name has been borrowed by scientists to describe a class of materials with an atomic structure closely resembling this distinctive lattice pattern.
Since the latest family of Kagome metals was discovered in 2019, physicists have been working to better understand their properties and potential applications. A new study led by Florida State University Assistant Professor of Physics Guangxin Ni focuses on how a particular Kagome metal interacts with light to generate what are known as plasmon polaritons — nanoscale-level linked waves of electrons and electromagnetic fields in a material, typically caused by light or other electromagnetic waves.
The work was published in Nature Communications (“Plasmons in the Kagome metal CsV 3 Sb 5 ”).
A team led by researchers from the California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA has designed a unique material based on a conventional superconductor—that is, a substance that enables electrons to travel through it with zero resistance under certain conditions, such as extremely low temperature. The experimental material showed properties signaling its potential for use in quantum computing, a developing technology with capabilities beyond those of classical digital computers.
Exploring the design of efficient quantum emitters using defects in wide-bandgap semiconductors, specifically silicon carbide (SiC) and diamond.
It highlights how these defects can be engineered to emit single photons, which are crucial for quantum technologies like secure communication and quantum…
Computers benefit greatly from being connected to the internet, so we might ask: What good is a quantum computer without a quantum internet?
Physicists have developed new specialty optical fibers with a micro-structured core to support future quantum computing data transfer needs.
