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Physicists Control the Spin of a Single Electron

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the making-my-head-spin dept.

jeeb writes "Researchers of the Delft University of Technology and the Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter have succeeded for the first time in controlling the spin of a single electron in a nanostructure. They are able to rotate the axis to every possible direction and to record it accordingly. This achievement makes it possible to use the electron's spin as a 'quantum bit,' the basis of a (still theoretical) future quantum computer. The researchers have published this scientific breakthrough in the August 17, 2006 edition of Nature."

9 of 98 comments (clear)

  1. Well, that's that. by dreddnott · · Score: 1, Funny

    It's all over now but the crying, Mother Nature.

    --
    I may make you feel, but I can't make you think.
  2. Stop That by ReidMaynard · · Score: 5, Funny

    It makes the electrons dizzy.

    --
    -- www.globaltics.net

    Political discussion for a new world

  3. I'll say they're controlling the spin... by RomSteady · · Score: 3, Funny

    First request from the electron was for more funding for science programs.

    If that isn't controlled spin, I don't know what is. (grin)

    --
    RomSteady - I came, I saw, I tested. GamerTag: RomSteady / http://www.romsteady.net
  4. Researchers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    The researchers working on this are doing so to obtain their PhDs. Presumably they will henceforth be known as "spin doctors".

    1. Re:Researchers by J.R.+Random · · Score: 4, Funny

      I have mod points but I couldn't use them because there was no option for "Groan".

  5. Quite an achievement by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    The Acorn Electron was a bulky piece of kit, so controlling the spin of such unwieldy moulded plastic is a great achievement. I wonder if they did it with the Plus 1 or Plus 3 expansions attached ...

    It does beg the question of why they were spinning it in the first place, rather than playing Chuckie Egg, but the minds of scientists are quite different from yours or mine, and we should just sit back and applaud the achievement.

  6. Re:How about an ansible? by JGuru42 · · Score: 2, Funny

    I almost expect to see a Beowulf cluster comment coming on.......

  7. There, I Said It... by Volatile_Memory · · Score: 2, Funny

    The ability to completely control spin? I thought Bill O'Reilly could already do that...

    v.m

    --

    /**
    I have a "Zero Policy" tolerance.
    */

  8. was it really us? by ClassicComposer · · Score: 3, Funny

    How do we know it was scientists in our universe that was able to make the electron spin? Maybe it is another team in a parallel universe that did it and we are just seeing the results. I feel bad for the other universes where the experiment failed :-/