On Diamond-Based Quantum Computing

Roland Piquepaille writes "Quantum computing is usually associated with extremely low temperatures. Physicists at Harvard University have shown that diamonds can be used to create stable quantum computing building blocks at room temperature. A nitrogen vacancy in diamond could lead to quantum registers able to store or retrieve data. '"The problem is, what makes single nuclear spin so stable - its weak interaction with its surroundings - also prevents us from directly manipulating it," Lukin says. "How do you control something that can't interact with anything?" You do it gingerly and indirectly, the Harvard physicists report in Science. They found that nuclear spins associated with single atoms of carbon-13 - which make up some 1.1 percent of natural diamond - can be manipulated via a nearby single electron whose own spin can be controlled with optical and microwave radiation.'"

Comments

Re:Slashdot users should be covered in horse semen

[jollyreaper]

Slashdot users should be covered in horse semen!

Horse semen! Nice try at starting a new meme but Slashdotters prefer hot grits, preferably on Natalie Portman.

Re:What the article does not cover

[Bender0x7D1]

Well, if they are dealing on the quantum level, we are talking about single atoms which don't take up a lot of space, even on a speck of dust.

In addition, quantum computing isn't concerned with a large number of bits - although more is still better. I'm not sure if the info is still accurate, but the record number of qubits so far is 7, so even a few hundred qubits would be a huge breakthrough. I guess the question is: How many qubits can spin on the head of a pin (or a speck of diamond dust)?

Re:Cost...

[cp.tar]

Actually, artificially-made diamonds are rather cheap.

What is more, if the price of 'real' diamonds weren't artificially (sic!) kept high, they too would be cheap as dirt.

My guess, though, is that only man-made diamonds would be suitable for that, just like rubies for lasers - they're cleaner.