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Category: quantum physics – Page 82

Photon ‘time bins’ and signal stability show promise for practical quantum communication via fiber optics

Researchers at the Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology (Leibniz IPHT) in Jena, Germany, together with international collaborators, have developed two complementary methods that could make quantum communication via fiber optics practical outside the lab.

One approach significantly increases the amount of information that can be encoded in a ; the other improves the stability of the quantum signal over long distances. Both methods rely on standard telecom components—offering a realistic path to secure through existing fiber networks.

From hospitals to government agencies and industrial facilities—anywhere must be kept secure—quantum communication could one day play a key role. Instead of transmitting electrical signals, this technology uses individual particles of light—photons—encoded in delicate quantum states. One of its key advantages: any attempt to intercept or tamper with the signal disturbs the , making eavesdropping not only detectable but inherently limited.

Satyendra Nath Bose

Satyendra Nath Bose FRS, MP [ 1 ] (/ ˈ b oʊ s / ; [ 4 ] [ a ] 1 January 1894 – 4 February 1974) was an Indian theoretical physicist and mathematician. He is best known for his work on quantum mechanics in the early 1920s, in developing the foundation for Bose–Einstein statistics, and the theory of the Bose–Einstein condensate. A Fellow of the Royal Society, he was awarded India’s second highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan, in 1954 by the Government of India. [ 5 ] [ 6 ] [ 7 ]

The eponymous particles class described by Bose’s statistics, bosons, were named by Paul Dirac. [ 8 ] [ 9 ]

A polymath, he had a wide range of interests in varied fields, including physics, mathematics, chemistry, biology, mineralogy, philosophy, arts, literature, and music. He served on many research and development committees in India, after independence. [ 10 ] .

New superheavy isotope reveals complex relationship between quantum effects and fission

In a study published in Physical Review Letters, scientists at GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung have discovered a new superheavy isotope, 257 Sg (seaborgium), whose properties are providing new insights into nuclear stability and fission in the heaviest elements.

Superheavy elements exist in a delicate balance between the attractive nuclear force that holds protons and neutrons together and the repulsive electromagnetic force that pushes positively charged protons apart.

Without quantum shell effects, analogous to electron shells in atoms, these massive nuclei would split apart in less than a trillionth of a second.

Entropy engineering opens new avenue for robust quantum anomalous Hall effect in 2D magnets

A research team from the University of Wollongong’s (UOW) Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials (ISEM) has addressed a 40-year-old quantum puzzle, unlocking a new pathway to creating next-generation electronic devices that operate without losing energy or wasting electricity.

Published in Advanced Materials, the study is the work of UOW researchers led by Distinguished Professor Xiaolin Wang and Dr. M Nadeem, with Ph.D. candidate Syeda Amina Shabbir and Dr. Frank Fei Yun.

It introduces a new design concept to realize the elusive and highly sought-after quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) effect.

Enhanced quantum computers and beyond: Exploring magnons with superconducting qubits

Devices taking advantage of the collective quantum behavior of spin excitations in magnetic materials—known as magnons—have the potential to improve quantum computing devices. However, using magnons in quantum devices requires an in-depth understanding of their nature and limitations. A new experimental technique uses superconducting qubits to sensitively characterize magnon behavior in previously unexplored regimes.

Researchers in the Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have reported in the journal Physical Review Applied that highly excited magnon behavior in can be accurately characterized by coupling the material to a superconducting qubit via a microwave cavity. This setup allowed the researchers to characterize both the number of magnons and their lifetimes when thousands of excitations are present, a regime that has not been studied well.

“To be useful in quantum computing applications, limitations on magnon systems need to be understood properly,” said Sonia Rani, the study’s lead author. “The problem is that there isn’t a good theory for when certain effects become important, and if we should expect them to lead to detrimental effects.

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