Quantum Physics Shell Game

What do you get when quantum physicists learn to play a con game? A paper in Nature Physics, of course!

We won't pretend to understand a word in this report at Physorg, but we hope it will one day bring on a quantum super computer so we can play Angry Bird really, really fast.

According to the paper, the "shell man," the researcher, makes use of two superconducting quantum bits (qubits) to move the photons –– particles of light –– between the resonators. The qubits –– the quantum-mechanical equivalent of the classical bits used in a common PC –– are studied at UCSB for the development of a quantum super computer. They constitute one of the key elements for playing the photon shell game.

"This is an important milestone toward the realization of a large-scale quantum register," said Mariantoni. "It opens up an entirely new dimension in the realm of on-chip microwave photonics and quantum-optics in general."

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