Physicists at ETH Zurich have developed a method for
precisely controlling quantum systems by exploiting a trick that helps cats to
land on their feet and motorists to fit their cars into parking spots. In the
longer run, the method could lead to the development of more reliable quantum
computers.
To maneuver a car into a parking spot parallel to the road
can be quite a challenge. It would be an easy task, of course, if only the
vehicle could move sideways. As this is not possible, the sideways motion must
be pieced together – sometimes elegantly, sometimes less so – in a series of
forward and backward movements and turns on the steering wheel. Such a finely
tuned sequence of movements also enables cats to almost always land on their
feet after a free fall. Researchers at ETH Zurich have now used a similar
principle for steering a quantum system into a desired state. This new type of
control should be useful in situations in which quantum systems must be precisely
controlled, not least in the context of quantum computers.