The use of light signals to connect electronic components is a key element of today’s data communication technologies, because of the speed and efficiency that only optical devices can guarantee. Photonic integrated circuits, which use photons instead of electrons to encode and transmit information, are found in many computing technologies. Most are currently based on silicon—a good solution because it is already used for electronic circuits, but with a limited bandwidth.

An excellent alternative is tetragonal barium titanate (BTO), a ferroelectric perovskite that can be grown on top of silicon and has much better optoelectronic properties. But since this material is quite new in the field of applied optoelectronics, a better comprehension of its quantum properties is needed in order to further optimize it.

A new study by MARVEL scientists published in Physical Review B presents a new computational framework to simulate the optoelectronic behavior of this material, and potentially of other promising ones.

Every week quantum computing hits a new milestone: more qubits, fewer errors, better readout of results. But will these breakthroughs help solve the advanced computational problems facing energy, like how to model energy storage catalysts or ensure power grid reliability? That is what scientists at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) want to know.

Working with local quantum companies, an NREL team is developing benchmarks for quantum computers on the problems that are important to energy science. The pursuit of benchmarks will allow NREL and industry to prioritize practical utility for the next generation of quantum software and hardware.

An Irish startup has created the world’s first silicon-based quantum computer — it can still integrate seamlessly with classical computing in data centers.

The Quantum Insider (TQI) is the leading online resource dedicated exclusively to Quantum Computing.