(Phys.org) A team of Australian scientists led by Professor Sven Rogge at the Centre for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology (CQC2T) have investigated the spin-orbit coupling of a boron atom in silicon. Spin-orbit coupling, the coupling of the qubits’ orbital and spin degree of freedom, allows the manipulation of the qubit via electric, rather than magnetic-fields. “Single boron atoms in silicon are a relatively unexplored quantum system, but our research has shown that spin-orbit coupling provides many advantages for scaling up to a large number of qubits in quantum computing” says Professor Rogge, Program Manager CQC2T.
The utilization of the spin-orbit coupling of atom qubits have adding a new suite of tools to the quantum armory. Using the electric dipole coupling between qubits means they can be placed further apart, thereby providing flexibility in the chip fabrication process in the future. “Boron atoms in silicon couple efficiently to electric fields, enabling rapid qubit manipulation and qubit coupling over large distances. The electrical interaction also allows coupling to other quantum systems, opening up the prospects of hybrid quantum systems,” says Rogge.
Australian Researchers Harnessing Spin-Orbit Coupling: Scaling Up Quantum Computation
