Research News

A new study from Edo Waks' group has shown how to sharpen nanoscale microscopy (nanoscopy) even more by better locating the exact position of the light source. The improvement involves taking into account the phantom dipole induced in the surface of a nanowire by the presence of a nearby quantum dot. The interference of light emitted by the dot with light emitted (in effect) by the phantom distorts the estimation of the dot's true location.

 A new experiment conducted at the University of California at Berkeley used quantum information techniques for a precision test of a cornerstone principle of physics, namely Lorentz invariance.  This precept holds that the results of a physics experiment do not depend on its absolute spatial orientation.  The work uses quantum-correlated electrons within a pair of calcium ions to look for shifts in quantum energy levels with unprecedented sensitivity.   JQI Adjunct Fellow and University of Delaware professor Marianna Safronova, who contributed a theoretical analysis of the data, said that

Quantum computers will someday perform calculations impossible for conventional digital computers.  But for that to happen, the core quantum information must be preserved against contamination from the environment.  In other words, decoherence of qubits must be forestalled.  Coherence, the ability of a system to retain quantum integrity---meaning that one part of the system can be used to predict the behavior of other parts---is an important consideration.