Qubits can be controlled by electrical fields, says research team
Scientists from the Kavli Institute of Nanoscience at Delft University of Technology and Eindhoven University of Technology have been able to manipulate qubits – the building blocks of quantum computers – using electrical, rather than magnetic, fields. A further development is the ability to embed qubits into semiconductor nanowires.
Until now, the spin of an electron has been controlled by magnetic fields. However, these fields are extremely difficult to generate on a chip. Electrical control has major advantages, said Leo Kouwenhoven, a scientist at the Kavli Institute of Nanoscience. "These spin orbit qubits combine the best of both worlds. They employ the advantages of both electronic control and information storage in the electron spin."
Meanwhile, the researchers have been able to embed qubits into indium arsenide nanowires. Kouwenhoven noted: "These nanowires are being increasingly used as convenient building blocks in nanoelectronics [and are] an excellent platform for quantum information processing …"
