Researchers at Yokohama National University have successfully teleported quantum information within the diamond.
In a new work, published on the Communications Physics portal, Japanese scientists talked about how they managed to implement quantum teleportation. "Quantum teleportation allows quantum information to be transmitted to another, inaccessible space," said Hideo Kosaka, professor of engineering at Yokohama National University and author of the study. “It also allows information to be transferred to quantum memory without exposing or destroying data already stored,” he added.
In this case, the "inaccessible space" consisted of carbon atoms inside the diamond. The diamond is composed of interconnected, but sufficiently separate atoms, which makes it an ideal environment for testing the mechanics of teleportation. In its nucleus, each carbon atom contains six protons and neutrons, surrounded by six rotating electrons. Therefore, when atoms bind into a single structure of a diamond, they form a particularly strong lattice. But, of course, it can contain defects - for example, when a nitrogen atom randomly takes the place of a carbon atom. Such a defect is called a nitrogen vacancy center.
Surrounded by carbon atoms, the structure of the nitrogen atom's nucleus creates what Kosaka calls a nanomagnet.
To manipulate the electron and carbon isotope at the vacancy center, Kosaka and the team attached a wire about a quarter of the width of a human hair to the diamond's surface. They then used microwave radiation to create an oscillating magnetic field around the diamond. A nitrogen "nanomagnet" was used to fix the electron. Then, using radio wave and electric wave radiation, the team forced the electron spin to entwine with the nuclear spin of carbon so that they effectively become one and can no longer be considered separately from each other. At this moment, a photon containing quantum information is introduced into the system, and the electron absorbs it. As a result, the charge is transferred by the electron to the carbon and polarizes it, and with this quantum information is transmitted.
Scientists called their device a "quantum repeater", and with its help it is possible to transfer individual portions of information from node to node through a quantum field. The ultimate goal of the experiment is scalable repeaters that will allow teleportation of information to large information. Of course, it will not do without distribution quantum computers that can perform more serious computations.
Vasily Makarov