Researchers demonstrate new type of laser:
Lasers are everywhere nowadays: doctors use them to correct eyesight, cashiers to scan your groceries, and quantum [scientists] to control qubits in the future quantum computer. For most applications, the current bulky, energy inefficient lasers are fine, but quantum scientist work at extremely low temperatures and on very small scales. For over 40 years, they have been searching for efficient and precise microwave lasers that will not disturb the very cold environment in which quantum technology works. A team of researchers led by Leo Kouwenhoven at TU Delft has demonstrated an on-chip microwave laser based on a fundamental property of superconductivity, the ac Josephson effect. They embedded a small section of an interrupted superconductor, a Josephson junction, in a carefully engineered on-chip cavity. Such a device opens the door to many applications in which microwave radiation with minimal dissipation is key, for example in controlling qubits in a scalable quantum computer. The scientists have published their work in Science on the 3rd of March.
Demonstration of an ac Josephson junction laser (DOI: 10.1126/science.aah6640) (DX)
(Score: 2) by q.kontinuum on Tuesday March 07 2017, @01:52PM (2 children)
They embedded a small section of an interrupted superconductor, a Josephson junction,
If a superconductor is required, it will only work in the very low temperature setups for now, right? Not e.g. for the shark-habitable water temperatures required to make it a viable fish head-mounted-device...
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(Score: 2) by c0lo on Tuesday March 07 2017, @02:05PM
I suspect they intend to beat IBM in the number of qubits rather than mount the maser on the head of a superconductor shark.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Tuesday March 07 2017, @05:16PM
These are microwave lasers, not much use underwater, but should cook fillet of sole in a vacuum chamber quite efficiently due to lossless transmission from the cavity. Now, how to keep the fillet from drying out while under vacuum....?
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