Researchers in a spin over quantum computing breakthrough
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Researchers at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), in association with a team from the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), say they have demonstrated how nuclear spin can be manipulated using an electric field. They add this manipulation can be applied to quantum bits and could enable the development of quantum computers.
"Use of electric instead of magnetic fields paves the way to addressing quantum states in conventional electronic circuits," explains Professor Mario Ruben, Head of the Molecular Materials Research Group of KIT's Institute of Nanotechnology (INT). "There, quantum states can be manipulated specifically by so called displacement currents. Then, they can be directly read out electronically."
In the experiments, the researchers used a nuclear spin-qubit transistor that consists of a single molecule magnet connected to three electrodes (source, drain and gate). The magnet is a TbPc2 molecule – a single metal ion of terbium enclosed by organic phthalocyanine molecules.
The gap between the electric field and the spin is bridged by the hyperfine Stark effect that transforms the electric field into a local magnetic field. This quantum mechanics process can be transferred to all nuclear spin systems and, hence, say the researchers, opens up entirely novel perspectives for integrating quantum effects in nuclear spins into electronic circuits.
