Advance could lead to quantum computing and the secure
transfer of information over long-distance fiber optic networks
The idea of computing systems based on controlling atomic
spins just got a boost from new research performed at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT) and the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE)
Brookhaven National Laboratory. By constructing tiny "mirrors" to
trap light around impurity atoms in diamond crystals, the team dramatically
increased the efficiency with which photons transmit information about those
atoms' electronic spin states, which can be used to store quantum information.
Such spin-photon interfaces are thought to be essential for connecting distant
quantum memories, which could open the door to quantum computers and
long-distance cryptographic systems.