Cornell University researchers have demonstrated that acoustic sound waves can be used to control the motion of an electron as it orbits a lattice defect in a diamond, a technique that can potentially improve the sensitivity of quantum sensors and be used in other quantum devices.
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A bulk acoustic wave resonator on diamond for acoustic orbital control. Credit: PRX Quantum (2024). DOI: 10.1103/PRXQuantum.5.030336 Advances in quantum information technology require finding new ways to control electrons and other microscopic particles. In an article titled "Coherent acoustic control of defect orbital states in the strong-driving limit," Gregory Fuchs, professor of applied and engineering physics, and his postdoctoral associate, Brendan McCullian, collaborated with Erich Mueller, professor of physics in the College of Arts and Sciences, and his doctoral student, Vaibhav Sharma, to engineer a setting where sound waves can drive "quantum jumps" between electron orbits. The work was published in the journal PRX Quantum. McCullian built a microscopic speaker on the surface of a diamond chip, which operated at a frequency that exactly matched an electronic transition. Using techniques similar to those employed in magnetic resonance imaging, he was able to demonstrate coherent control of a single electron inside the diamond chip. Qubits—the quantum analog of the bits found in a classical computer—must remain…