Causing Material Defects to Speed-up Quantum Technology Developments. The second quantum revolution is arriving, arguably. It shows promise of new ways to measure, process, and transmit information, often requiring new types of materials.
A multi-national group of scientists is “working on accelerator-based techniques for developing new materials that could speed up development of quantum technologies.”
“The first quantum revolution was about building devices based on the ability to control photons and electrons, which led to the personal computer, LED lighting, even GPS and the Internet. In the second revolution, it’s about controlling the quantum state of individual atomic systems to create more advanced technology that is capable of solving previously impossible problems,” said David Jamieson, Professor at the University of Melbourne and chair of the IAEA coordinated research project behind this work.
Launched in December 2016, the project brings together leading scientists from Australia, China, and the U.S., to name several of the ten participating nations.
The main aim of the project is to develop novel, accelerator-based ion beam techniques for creating and characterizing modified material required for new quantum technologies.
The accelerator-based ion beam techniques permit creation of defects in silicon, diamond, and graphene, at the atomic level. In turn, defects created allow control of single atoms down to the spin of electrons.
These material modifications and resulting control mechanisms are paving a path “necessary for advancing quantum technology.”
Reference is found at the IAEA…