Quantum information processing has the potential to open new horizons in fundamental science, communication, and computing. However, a number of experimental challenges must be overcome to realize this potential. Of primary importance is controlled manipulation of a qubit-the elementary building block of quantum information. A qubit is simply any two-level quantum mechanical system. In many solid-state materials, qubits-whether based on spin states, electrostatic charges, or some other property-suffer unwanted coupling with the surrounding environment. Such interactions lead to decoherence and degrade the information. Implementing realistic quantum information processing requires manipulating the two-level system at a rate much faster than decoherence occurs.
展开▼
