British scientists Michael Kosterlitz, David Thouless and Duncan Haldane received the Nobel Prize in Physics "for the theoretical discoveries of topological phase transitions and topological phases of matter." The words "theoretical discoveries" raise doubts that their work will have any practical application or can influence our lives in the future. But everything may turn out to be just the opposite.
To understand the potential of this discovery, it will be helpful to gain an understanding of the theory. Most people know that there is a nucleus inside an atom, and that electrons revolve around it. This corresponds to different energy levels. When atoms group together and create some kind of matter, all the energy levels of each atom combine to create zones of electrons. Each so-called energy band of electrons has room for a certain number of electrons. And between each zone there are gaps in which electrons cannot move.
If an electrical charge (a stream of additional electrons) is applied to a material, its conductivity is determined by whether the zone of electrons with the most energy has room for new electrons. If so, the material will behave as a conductor. If not, extra energy is needed to push the flow of electrons into a new empty zone. As a result, this material will behave like an insulator. Conductivity is critical to electronics because components such as conductors, semiconductors, and dielectrics are at the core of its products.
The predictions of Kosterlitz, Thouless, and Haldane in the 1970s and 1980s are that some material does not obey this rule. Some other theorists also support their point of view. They suggested that instead of the gaps between the zones of electrons where they cannot be, there is a special energy level in which different and very unexpected things are possible.
This property only exists on the surface and at the edges of such materials and is extremely robust. To a certain extent, it also depends on the shape of the material. In physics, this is called topology. In a material in the shape of a sphere or, for example, an egg, these properties or characteristics are identical, but in a donut they differ due to a hole in the middle. The first measurements of such characteristics were made by the current along the boundary of the flat sheet.
The properties of such topological materials can be extremely useful. For example, an electric current can flow on their surface without any resistance, even when the device is slightly damaged. Superconductors do this even without topological properties, but they can only work at very low temperatures. That is, a large amount of energy can only be used in a cooled conductor. Topological materials can do the same at higher temperatures.
This has important implications for computer-assisted work. Most of the energy consumed by computers today goes to fans to reduce temperatures caused by resistance in the circuits. By eliminating this heating problem, computers can be made much more energy efficient. For example, this will lead to a significant reduction in carbon emissions. In addition, it will be possible to make batteries with a much longer service life. Scientists have already begun experiments with topological materials such as cadmium telluride and mercury telluride to put the theory into practice.
In addition, major breakthroughs in quantum computing are possible. Classical computers encode data either by applying voltage to the microcircuit or not. Accordingly, the computer interprets this as 0 or 1 for each bit of information. By putting these bits together, we create more complex data. This is how a binary system works.
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When it comes to quantum computing, we deliver information to electrons, not microcircuits. The energy levels of such electrons correspond to zeros or ones as in classical computers, but in quantum mechanics this is possible simultaneously. Without going into too much theory, let's just say that this gives computers the ability to process very large amounts of data in parallel, making them much faster.
Companies like Google and IBM are conducting research trying to figure out how to use the manipulation of electrons to create quantum computers that are much more powerful than classical computers. But there is one major obstacle along the way. Such computers are poorly protected from surrounding "noise interference". If a classical computer is able to cope with the noise, then a quantum computer can produce a huge variety of errors due to unstable frames, random electric fields, or air molecules that enter the processor even when kept in a vacuum. This is the main reason why we do not use quantum computers in our daily life yet.
One possible solution is to store information not in one, but in several electrons, since interference usually affects quantum processors at the level of individual particles. Suppose we have five electrons that collectively store the same bit of information. Therefore, if it is stored correctly in most electrons, then interference affecting a single electron will not spoil the entire system.
Scientists are experimenting with this so-called majority voting, but topological engineering may offer an easier solution. Just as topological superconductors can conduct the flow of electricity well enough so that resistance does not interfere with it, topological quantum computers can be quite reliable and insensitive to interference. This could go a long way towards making quantum computing a reality. American scientists are actively working on this.
Future
It can take 10 to 30 years for scientists to learn how to manipulate electrons well enough for quantum computing to become possible. But quite interesting opportunities are already emerging. For example, such computers can simulate the formation of molecules, which is quantitatively challenging for today's traditional computers. This has the potential to revolutionize the production of drugs, as we will be able to predict what will happen in the body during chemical processes.
Here's another example. A quantum computer can turn artificial intelligence into reality. Quantum machines are better at learning than classical computers. This is partly due to the fact that much smarter algorithms can be laid in them. The solution to the mystery of artificial intelligence will become a qualitative change in the existence of mankind - however, it is not known, for better or for worse.
In short, the predictions of Kosterlitz, Thouless, and Haldane could revolutionize computer technology in the 21st century. If the Nobel committee has recognized the importance of their work today, then we will surely thank them for many years to come.