“Happy Accident” at U of New South Wales Cited as a Pathway to Quantum Computers Using Single Atom Spins

(Newsweek) Engineers at the University of New South Wales Sydney found a way “by happy accident” to control the nucleus of an atom using electric fields rather than magnetic fields—which they have claimed could now open up a “treasure trove of discoveries and applications.” Quantum computing expands on understandings of tech by basing research on quantum theory—analysing how energy works at atomic and subatomic levels.
The study, published in Nature, solves a problem in finding a way to control nuclear spins with electricity, first suggested back in 1961 by the magnetic resonance expert and Nobel Laureate Nicolaas Bloembergen, the team said.
“This discovery means that we now have a pathway to build quantum computers using single atom spins without the need for any oscillating magnetic field for their operation,” elaborated UNSW Scientia Professor of Quantum Engineering Andrea Morello.