Slashdot Mirror
New Advance In Quantum Dot Technology
sacremon writes: "An article in EETimes describes research at the University of Nebraska on the development of an improved method for the generation of quantum dots. The researchers invoke the infamous 'five years away from having a small-scale quantum computer in the lab,' but the technique looks promising, particularly for generating a large array of quantum dots."
Oooh.... let's think of something new, post it to slashdot, and wait and see how long it takes someone to say oohhh... i wish i could have a beowolf cluster of those....
It doesn't make much of a difference how small/fast you make the processor if you can't push the data at it fast enough. So far, there isn't even much theory-ware that can keep up with the speeds of processing this is hinting about.
I need a funny sig
Quantum money? Is that like, the more accurately you know how fast you're spending it, the less accurately you can know how much you have left?
Corollary to Moore's Law: The IQ of new computer owners is declining.
Cool! If they can put a quantom dot on the spot (no pun intended)... then I do indeed congratulate them. It would be a good way to start building things like gates, and my favorite...RAM. If they can get them to be low noise, and stable, imagine having RAM cells without capacitors... the size could go way down. If they can make them non-volitle (sp?) (as a quantum dot should be able to be)... then that's even better! (I hope I'm not hyping things too much)
Like I said later... (#3)... focus on the positive. (I hope they weren't the victims of a bad reporter looking for hype).
--Mike--
Yes, Bandy is a genius... although when he rattled off some equations in his principles of semiconductors class us up and coming geniuses would've liked more than just "and it's obvious" for an explanation. There is more to UNL than football, thank god.
Mike
Intel transfer the difficult from Hadware to software, for get more power, programmer need more technology. -- chinaitn
So what we really have here is a process that just "spontaneously" happens to make a pattern that looks good for storing bits. This is not a process for putting a quantum dot at location X. Stand alone quantum dots certainly have their uses, such as laser diodes, but if there are no interconnects, it's not going to be a computing device.
In order for this to be useful, you have to be able to put a quantum dot where you want it, and be able to get data into and out of it. You also have to be able to do this and to get at least 1% yield for the entire die, in production quantities. This is not the ballpark this research is headed for.
what do you believe you will actually use in the next five years:
Okay, that last one was a little too farfetched... but I do declare Slashdot, you have the vapors!
Hopefully I didn't put any [] around my words.
Well, assuming quantum data transmission gets anywhere, the opposite will occur. All transmissions will be totally secure. Quantum data transmission would prevent sniffing. It relies on the Hesenberg Uncertanity principle which states we can't observe certain quantum phenomena without changing them. Thus all packet-sniffers and the like would be detected instantly - the message on the other end would be garbled.
So if I encrypt my session key and send it along a quantum channel (encrypted with RSA) it's true that someone can intercept the message and easily decrypt the session key with a quantum computer. But the recipient will know that something's up, and I will never send the actual data.
That's a whole different problem.
while(!done){
}
}
Considering a quantum machine can do a huge number of these checks at one time, breaking down a large number into its two prime constituents is trivial.
- I don't care if they globalize against free speech. All my best free thoughts are done in my head.
Well now if they can just develop some quantum dashes, they can build a quantum telegraph!
Quantum morse code...ahhh... It could revolutionize the railroad industry!
Don't quite throw out that "old" binary computer yet - there are certain data types that fit quantum computers, and others that don't. Since QCs work differently, binaries still kick butt in certain areas. If you really want the skinny, try this url - http://www.newscientist.com/nsplus/insight/quantum /genious.html. It's very idiot-friendly (I've seen some of these fp's).
:) Just a random thought. Must be getting tired.
Another bit - I was reading the NSA website today, and noticing that they state something about "strategically limiting certain key technologies" in the interests of nat'l security. I have also noticed a lot of recent quantum related breakthroughs (quantum decoherence-free states, quantum cryptography, and easy methods of making entangled states). Not to be paranoid, but could this be a NSA release of technology? Who knows?
Matt
Information about how quantum computers work, from a competing team also hoping to build a quantum computer, is here,
Drag n' Drop DVD Recommendations
Simple...
// add other techniques here as you see fit
while (!confessed) {
beat prime number over the head
tell prime number its partner already confessed
offer prime number a shorter sentence if it
confesses
}
This has all probably been said before:
1. Distributed.net: Crack the encryption before you can actually hit the key
2. 3D: Real time rendering in the palm of your hand.
The power of this technology is friggen sick. I hope we put it to a good use, like porn hosting... You can never get enough porn. No such thing as too much porn. Usually.
"What can a thoughtful man hope for mankind on Earth, given the experience of the past million years? Nothing." -Bokonon
Researches in Silicon Valley today announced that, within five years, they would be able to produce any number of quantum dot-coms in a small laboratory, at little or no cost. "This redefines the nature of cool," say John Q. Hoper, director of product developement at XOREX, "solving the urgent need for new, turnkey business solutions developed at the quantum pace."
Quantum dots is just the first step in making a quantum computer, which is why the 20 years till desktop line in the article. What is demonstrated is far more modest than the press release SEEMS to say. What was demonstrated is the ability to massively manufacture quantum dots. The next step would be some kind of mask like technology to control exact patterns of the quantum dots. It seems that should be possible since their process require very fine control, a mask should be enough to selectively prevent the growth of quantum dots in places. The next step would to build a quasi-quantum computer, that is a computer whose operation is stilled based on classical information theory, but the physical principals is entirely quantum. Such computer would still be vastly supperior to current computeres in term of power consumption and speed, that is because computers based on quantum dots does NOT need interconnects, because everything is through field effect. The state of a quantum dot affects the one next to it in similar way a atom affect atoms near it. In fact quantum dots often being called artificial atoms because the quantum mechanics of an electron inside a quantum dot is so similar to that of a atom's electrons that they are pratically identical. Only after the quasi-quantum computer is bulit are we likely to be able to deal with the next challenge (unless some surprise discovery/invention changes things) which is coherrance. Quantum computers right now are extremely fragile. After you put the device in a superpositioned state, it doesn't take much to destroy it and have it decay into classical states. However from what I hear the most robust superposition state was achieved in a quatum dot which do raise the hopes. I hope the best luck to these researchers but I am weary of the fact that they patented the process which pretty much prevents others with shallow pockets from perfecting their technique, and slowing down the process of innovation. Hopefully their licensing agreements are generous.
When I first read the headline, I thought I saw "New Advance In Quantum Dot Com Technology." And I was remarkably confused when I read the caption thereafter.
For anyone who's interested in the physics of quantum dot self-assembly, I've posted some papers and presentations on my website. My recent research proposal deals with a physical simulation of quantum dot growth. I try to write without jargon, so they should be understandable to anyone with a science or engineering background.
Rick Wagner
Department of Chemical Engineering
University of Michigan
...that they are still working on Quantum Yakko and Wakko technology.
---
Good judgment comes from experience.
Experience comes from bad judgment.
I've been reading with interest for some time now the developments in Quantum computing, and it seems that researchers are now faced more with engineering problems rather than theoretical ones. No one is really questioning the computing abilities of quantum devices in theory, we're just waiting to see how they could be built.
My problem is then with the field of computer science in general and why there isn't much computational theory being done with quantum devices in mind. Coming from a comp. sci. theoretical backgground most of the heads in the field are either ignoring quantum computing or scoffing at it, while keeping their heads stuck in the P=NP sand and hoping it will all go away.
Does anyone out there have any info, preferrably links, to theoretical work going on with regard to quantum devices?
Quantumdot.org: News for nodes. Size matters.
I think you totally don't get it. It can do a factorisation of a number 2 exp 1000 in one step (or near), simply by testing all the 2 exp 1000 possibilities simultaneously and get the answer right back. Just get it and eat it!
The University of Nebraska really does do research, and interesting stuff at that! All this time I have been going here I thought we were just a front for the football team...
:)
I guess I can feel proud now.
Posted from the wireless couch.
I'm much fonder of Steve Howe's Quantum Guitar... its at least useful, in an asthetic way.
Hi! This is the Sig, blatantly attached to the end of this comment.
There are promising designs of quantum computers, but they are not based on a semiconductor design. My personal opinion is that quantum computers will be first be realized in ultra-cold systems such as linear ion-chains. Any design that does not include the concept of a data bus is IMHO worthless.
To conclude, self-assembled quantum dots as described in the article do have their place: in optical devices such as semiconductor lasers, infrared sensors and highly specialized ultra-accurate gauge devices.
Just my 2 nm ...
t the cost of doubling the time it takes to determine the state
In most cases you can't determine the quantum state - you measure it. And the measurement time does not double whenever you add another qubit. I'm sure you could do the math, not so sure if it would be the right problem
:wq
The Code Book has a great section about quantum cryptography for "normal people". It helps to get the basics down (like quantum money and breakdown of prime numbers using quantum computing) before tackling the more complicated things like actually creating a quantum encryption scheme. Highly recommended.
- I don't care if they globalize against free speech. All my best free thoughts are done in my head.
It's worse than that, you can build your state with 2^1000 bits of data, you can perform 2^1000 simulataneous calculations, but in the end you get one 1000 bit number and then you have to start again.
Most of the piece is oversimplified hype (more correctly known as bullshit).