The integration of erbium atoms with special optical properties into a Silicon crystal is the work of a team of researchers. Light at a wavelength used in telecommunications can be used to connect the atoms. They are ideal for future quantum networks that enable calculations with several quantum computers, as well as the secure exchange of data in a quantum internet. The method seems suitable for large networks since the new experimental results were achieved without the use of sophisticated cooling.
New possibilities arise when a quantum computer is connected to a network. A quantum network can be achieved using individual carriers of quantum information.
Individual atoms that are isolated from one another can be used to build the qubits. A group of researchers at theMPQ in Garching and the Technical University of Munich have shown a way to build a quantum network using atoms. Classical computers can be used for quantum computers.
Their work is in a magazine.
Losses and coherence are low.
Under very specific conditions, erbium atoms are placed into the crystal lattice of Silicon. The erbium atoms emit light at a wavelength of around 1550 nanometer. During propagation in a light-conducting fiber, it shows only low loss.
The light emitted by erbium is very bright. A stable phase relationship to one another is a precondition for the storage and transmission of quantum information. The characteristics of erbium make it a good candidate for a quantum computer or as an information carrier in a quantum network.
What may seem simple, posed a technological challenge for the researchers. The team had to fix the rare-earth atoms in different places relative to the Silicon atoms. The physicist says that Silicon is already used for classical Semiconductors that form the basis of our information society. There are processes that can be used for the preparation of high quality Silicon Crystals.
The temperatures are moderate.
It had to be endowed with nanometer-fine structures to integrate erbium atoms into such a crystal. Light-conducting elements are served by them. The researchers used a beam of erbium ion to cause individual atoms to come and go. The team did not heat the chips to 1000 but only to a maximum of 500 degrees.
The relatively moderate temperature resulted in a stable integration of individual erbium atoms in the crystal lattice. At around 10 kilohertz, which is the smallest wavelength measured in nanostructures to date, the emission of IR light by the erbium resulted in this. The researcher says that this is a good place to build a quantum network.
The excellent optical properties of the introduced erbium atoms do not only show up in the immediate vicinity of absolute zero, but in previous experiments as well.
They can be observed at temperatures that are considered high for quantum phenomena. It is possible to achieve such a temperature by cooling in a cryostat. It's easy to realize and pave the way for future applications.
Potential applications are diverse.
Future applications for quantum networks are wide. They could be used to build quantum computers, in which a lot of different processors are connected. Complex tasks that can't be solved with classical systems can be mastered with such computing machines. New types of materials could be investigated using quantum networks.
They could be used to build a kind of quantum internet in which previously impossible amounts of information could be transmitted, similar to the normal internet.
All potential applications need to be entangled in a network. The next task is to show that this can be done with erbium atoms in chips.
The physicist is working with his team. His goal is to show that the circuits for powerful quantum networks can be made in the same way as chips for mobile phones or notebook computers.
There is more information about narrow optical transitions in erbium-implanted Silicon waveguides. There is a book titled "PhysRevX.12"
Journal information: Physical Review X
Citation: Erbium atoms in silicon: A prime candidate for quantum networks (2022, November 7) retrieved 7 November 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2022-11-erbium-atoms-silicon-prime-candidate.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.
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