(July 2, 2015)
Researchers at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate
University (OIST) have identified a system that could store quantum information
for longer times, which is critical for the future of quantum computing. This
study was recently published in Physical Review Letters.
Quantum computing -- which aims to use particles on the
atomic scale to make calculations and store the results -- has the potential to
solve some key problems much faster than current computers.
To make quantum computing a reality, scientists must find a
system that remains stable long enough to make the calculations. While this is
an extremely short time frame, only thousandths of a second, the particles
involved are so small that they are easily influenced by their surroundings. If
the motion of the particles is disturbed, even a little, it throws off the
whole calculation.