Semiconductor quantum transistor opens the door for photon-based computing

6 years ago
Anonymous $TjsaxHwAP-

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/07/180705143859.htm

Quantum computers will need analogous hardware to manipulate quantum information. But the design constraints for this new technology are stringent, and today's most advanced processors can't be repurposed as quantum devices. That's because quantum information carriers, dubbed qubits, have to follow different rules laid out by quantum physics.

Scientists can use many kinds of quantum particles as qubits, even the photons that make up light. Photons have added appeal because they can swiftly shuttle information over long distances, and they are compatible with fabricated chips. However, making a quantum transistor triggered by light has been challenging because it requires that the photons interact with each other, something that doesn't ordinarily happen on its own.