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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."

7 of 98 comments (clear)

  1. Stop That by ReidMaynard · · Score: 5, Funny

    It makes the electrons dizzy.

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    -- www.globaltics.net

    Political discussion for a new world

  2. 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)

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    RomSteady - I came, I saw, I tested. GamerTag: RomSteady / http://www.romsteady.net
  3. 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".

  4. Re:spin it up by MrSquirrel · · Score: 4, Informative

    I know they can measure the field easily... but after reading most of the full article, I wasn't sure how they would measure it while still controlling the rotation (since they were spinning the electron using magnetic fields). Then I finished reading the whole article (after posting of course) and got my answer: "Their approach was to lock up a second electron in another quantum dot alongside the first one and to use it to read out the spin direction of the first electron."

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    A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kick boxing.
  5. Re:Every possibly direction? by Princeofcups · · Score: 4, Informative

    Folks, electron spin is NOT like the spinning of a ball in "the real world." The electron is not "rotating" per se. From wiki:

    "Such particles and the spin of quantum mechanical systems ("particle spin") possesses several unusual or non-classical features, and for such systems, spin angular momentum cannot be associated with rotation but instead refers only to the presence of angular momentum."

    jfs

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    The only thing worse than a Democrat is a Republican.
  6. 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 :-/