U of Michigan creates first Quantum Microchip

zigziggityzoo writes "According to this article, The University of Michigan has created the first Quantum Microchip, which could eventually lead to the first instance of Quantum Computing ever." The bad news? We won't be seeing any notebooks or handhelds with quantum chips in the near future.

Comments

Article Error?

[hereschenes]

FTA:

"The cadmium atom that has lost an electron becomes a negatively charged ion, which can then be controlled with an electrical field," said Daniel Stick, a doctoral student in the University of Michigan's physics department who participated in the work.

I haven't done physics since first year university, so I could well be speaking from ignorance, but can someone explain to me how an atom that loses an electron becomes negatively charged?

Huh?

[scdeimos]

From TFA:

"The cadmium atom that has lost an electron becomes a negatively charged ion, which can then be controlled with an electrical field," said Daniel Stick, a doctoral student in the University of Michigan's physics department who participated in the work.

It's been twenty years since I've done chemistry but last time I checked losing an electron causes an atom to become positively charged - it would have to gain an extra electron to become negatively charged. So is this a typo, or has Quantum Physics turned everything on its head, including Electronic Principles?

Negatively charged, from TFA

[Anpheus]

"The cadmium atom that has lost an electron becomes a negatively charged ion, which can then be controlled with an electrical field," said Daniel Stick, a doctoral student in the University of Michigan's physics department who participated in the work.

I know why he's a doctoral student--because I deserve a doctorate more than he does! There's a reason the notation for electrons is e-, not e+. Because when the atom loses an electron, it loses some negative charge... balancing it to the positive.