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In the realm of technology, a groundbreaking revolution is quietly unfoldingone that promises to shatter the limits of classical computing. Quantum computing, often hailed as the "future of computation," is poised to transform the way we solve complex problems and usher in a new era of innovation. This article dives into the fascinating world of quantum computing, exploring what it is, how it works, and the remarkable impact it's set to have on our digital landscape.

The Quantum Puzzle: What Is Quantum Computing?

Imagine a computer so powerful that it can perform calculations at speeds that boggle the mind, making even the most advanced supercomputers seem sluggish in comparison. Quantum computing harnesses the principles of quantum mechanics, allowing it to process information in ways that classical computers can only dream of.

Quantum Bits (Qubits): The Heart of the Matter

At the core of quantum computing are qubits, the quantum equivalent of classical bits. Unlike classical bits, which can only exist in states of 0 or 1, qubits can exist in multiple states simultaneouslya phenomenon known as superposition. This property enables quantum computers to explore multiple solutions to complex problems at once.

The Quantum Dance: Entanglement and Quantum Gates

Another mind-bending concept in quantum computing is entanglement. When two qubits become entangled, the state of one instantly affects the state of the other, regardless of the distance between them. This property, combined with quantum gates that manipulate qubits, forms the basis of quantum algorithms.

Real-Life Example: Google's 2019 claim of achieving "quantum supremacy" marked a significant milestone. Its 53-qubit quantum computer solved a complex problem in minutes that would take the most powerful classical supercomputer thousands of years.

Applications Beyond Imagination

The potential applications of quantum computing are vast and awe-inspiring. From revolutionizing cryptography to supercharging drug discovery, quantum computing holds the key to solving problems that were once considered insurmountable.

The Road Ahead: Challenges and Excitement

While the promise of quantum computing is undeniable, there are formidable challenges to overcome, including error correction and scaling up quantum systems. Yet, researchers and innovators are forging ahead, driven by the excitement of what lies on the quantum horizon.

Conclusion: A Quantum Leap into the Future

As we peer into the fascinating world of quantum computing, one thing becomes clear: we are on the cusp of a technological revolution that will redefine the boundaries of what is possible. Quantum computing promises to solve problems that were once considered intractable and accelerate progress in fields ranging from artificial intelligence to materials science.

So, brace yourself for a quantum leap into the future. The era of quantum computing is upon us, and the possibilities are as boundless as the quantum realm itself. As researchers and dreamers continue to unravel the mysteries of this extraordinary technology, we're in for a thrilling journey into uncharted territorya journey that promises to shape the destiny of technology and innovation for generations to come.

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Quantum Computing. Unleashing the Power of the Unseen | by ... - Medium

The University of Arizona received a $30 million grant from the National Science Foundation to fund the UAs New Frontiers of Sound, a National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center.

This center will explore, in further depth, the study of topological acoustics, a field that lies at the intersection of condensed matter physics, mechanical structural design and acoustics engineering, according to the Nature Journal. The research done at this center will look at the geometry and landscape of sound, an unusual approach which in turn will uncover some of the extraordinary properties of sound, according to the New Frontier of Sound projects principal investigator and professor of materials science and engineering at the UA, Pierre Deymier.

The interaction with the extraordinary properties Deymier referenced will further other topics of research beyond just that of acoustics, some examples of which are biomedical and structural engineering, high speed quantum light computing and monitoring the impacts of climate change.

This elevated understanding of sound can be applied to so many facets of our everyday lives; new sensing capabilities can improve how we monitor aging, infrastructure or climate change. Enhanced telecommunications could mean better battery life in your cellphones. And as the University of Arizona is well aware, expedited computing is similar to whats happening with quantum networks, Gov. Katie Hobbs said at a Thursday press conference celebrating the center.

As Hobbs alluded, the study of topological acoustics applies to cellular technologies in a variety of ways, from lengthening battery life to increasing bandwidths.

Quite interestingly, sound serves a much more important role in the electronics of cellphones. We use sound and acoustic waves to actually filter and therefore select specific channels when we transmit or receive information. This is actually critical for all our wireless infrastructure, Andrea Al, project co-principal investigator and founding director of the advanced science research center at the City University of New York Graduate Center, said. We realize that the technologies that will extend battery life by making much more efficient processing of these acoustic signals [], and that will also realize a more efficient way of transmitting and receiving signals, [in] this way [will] extend the bandwidths. That means better data rates for the common user, that means streaming videos more reliably [].

This research also has environmental implications. The study of topological acoustics could be used as a powerful tool for sensing environmental changes and potentially predicting environmental disasters, according to Deymier.

We can develop sensing technologies that are going to be more sensitive than the current sensing technologies, and in the state of Arizona, we know with climate change we have issues with forest fires in the summer, for instance, when the ground is very dry. We will have the ability of monitoring the dryness of the ground using acoustic waves and perhaps preventing forest fires where they might occur, Deymier said.

Examining topological studies led to the discovery of analogies between sound waves and quantum mechanics, which affects the future of quantum computing. The study of acoustics requires far less stringent standards than quantum computing, making it easier for researchers in laboratories to study under normal conditions.

We can exploit these analogies between these acoustic waves and these quantum systems to perform massively parallel information processing which is analogous to what is done in quantum computing, without the drawback of quantum computing, because in quantum computing you need to have very low temperature, cryogenic temperature and very sophisticated equipment for achieving the computation, Deymier said. Acoustics is very forgiving and enables us to do a similar type of thing with less sophisticated equipment, and also very stable conditions in the laboratory as well.

Researchers leading the charge in the topological acoustics field are hopeful that it will lead to important economic developments, including the creation of more jobs and the development of new technologies.

We know the importance of acoustic microdevices for cell phones, and these are going to be manufactured and fabricated and designed by our team and eventually translated to industry, Deymier said. One of our partners is Intel Corporation, which is a very important industry in our state, and this partnership is going to help translate our inventions, innovations and technologies into products that the public can use.

As of January, Intel employs 13,000 people in Arizona, and has an economic impact of $8.6 billion, according to the company site.

We should be able to develop a number of technologies that are going to benefit the people of Arizona and benefit the economy of Arizona as well, Deymier said. But I want to make a point that our team is a national team, involving eight other universities in the nation, including on the east coast like CUNY or in [Boulder, Colorado] or in Alaska, and with these technologies we also create economic development in the entire nation.

The Center partners include California Institute of Technology, City University of New York, Georgia Institute of Technology, Spelman College, University of Alaska Fairbanks, UCLA, the University of Colorado Boulder and Wayne State University.

Student education and involvement emerged as a primary focus in the NewFOS project. Sara Chavarria, the project co-principal investigator and assistant dean of research in the University of Arizona College of Education, regarded the education and mentorship of students as a key element of topological acoustic research, and the educational programs offered through NewFOS reflect that sentiment.

NewFOS plans to offer a summer program for community college students and a year-long research experience that includes eight summer weeks in one of our institution labs, according to Chavarria.

There will also be a strong emphasis placed on mentorship.

We will take a collaborative mentoring approach so that our students will be mentored by a team of researchers, graduate students, post-docs and educators, Chavarria said. It is important for us to get mentoring right, because our students are the future researchers, educators and industry leaders of topological acoustics.

Relationships with community colleges in Tucson are a crucial component of NewFOS and a major focus of those involved is continuing to strengthen these relationships.

The thing that we fail to remember is that community college students are motivated students, talented individuals who dont often have access to STEM careers due to one reason or another, Janet Yowell, director of strategic community college STEM initiatives for the College of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Colorado Boulder, said. Were going to reach out to those students to provide them with access to engage in the project and to learn new skills that they can [use to] enhance their STEM futures, particularly in physics and engineering. Through our community college relationships that exist currently, we will further their academic success by offering the peer-to-peer mentoring that was mentioned earlier.

While no new majors will be added in line with this field of research, Chavarria wants students to be involved in creating new curriculum to add to existing coursework.

They will also be able to participate in curriculum writing and work collaboratively with researchers on how to translate and create lessons that they want to learn and how they want to learn it, because they are going to be the translators of this new field as we grow the community, Chavarria said.

The millions in funding from the NSF will bolster this research and community engagement and reflects the influence of this burgeoning field of study.

An award like this is a testament to our states dominance in advanced technology, research and development, and we see societys biggest challenges as a chance to innovate, problem-solve and forge new horizons. This center will ensure researchers in Arizona and their collaborating institutions leverage this opportunity to embolden our state and nations position in the world, Hobbs said. Their work will write the book on this subject; the curriculum and textbooks that educators turn to will come from this center, serving as the gold standard for those wishing to work in the field, and this work will enable researchers to gain insights on information that hasnt always been accessible to us, but is critical to advancing some of todays greatest assets.

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This first week of September, researchers reported on burned-out sharks, a method for maintaining quantum coherence and some positive market news for old-timey coal barons. Plus: Snail slime is really impressive if you look at it from a molecular standpoint.

Sharks exhausted: Everyone knows the horrific effects a great white shark inflicted on the tourists of Amity Island. But does anyone ever stop to think about how the tourists affected the shark? According to a study published in Scientific Reports, these negative impacts probably included stress and disturbed behavior patterns typified by a zig-zag swimming trajectory associated with flight from predators.

The researchers were studying a form of ecotourism in which people pay to swim with groups of sharks, the ultimate dream of anchor-pattern-jacket-wearing Amity Mayor Larry Vaughn. Sounds weird, but it's apparently a multimillion-dollar industry. The researchers suggest that tour operators should be more cognizant of shark behavior and maintaining minimum distances from the animals.

Energy filthy: Do you have a nostalgic yearning for bygone cityscapes blighted by smoke factories and buildings covered with soot? How about a nice, sun-filtering atmosphere thick with asthma-inducing lead, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and other heavy metals?

Well, hold on to your jaunty felt derby hat, because the per capita coal emissions from G20 countries are rising, right now, in the year 2023, even in the face of weather extremes and promises from governments to transition to sustainable sources of energy. Listen: Do you hear annoying Scott Joplin piano music emanating from somewhere in all the carbon haze? It's like we've stepped backward in time.

Goo versatile: Imagine that you've invented a goop gun that can apply an adhesive glue, a high-viscosity lubricant and a hydrating sunblock lotion, all from the same nozzle. Congratulations, Edison, you've been "bioinspired" by a snail's butt. Researchers at CUNY Advanced Science Research Center published a profile of the slime exuded by the Cornu aspersum snail, which has those same three utilitarian modes.

They found that of the three goo subtypes, the snail's lubricating mucus contains the lowest amount of calcium-binding proteins and its binding mucus contains the most. In a key quote from the article, chemistry and biochemistry Professor Adam Braunschwieg says, "More uses of snail mucus are being discovered every day," which is honestly a great argument in favor of government-funded research if you're arguing with your uncle at a family dinner.

Noise irritating: Nuclear spin ensembles only retain their quantum states for about 150 milliseconds before they're canceled out by noise in the form of heat and other sources. Oh, were you storing some information in that quantum system? Well, it's gone, now. Good thing you backed up your data in another nuclear spin ensembleoh, that one just decohered, too.

Noise is the enemy of quantum coherence and therefore the enemy of engineers trying to build quantum computing systems and quantum sensors. But it turns out that noise is also its own worst enemy.

Physicists at MIT now report a method to extend the period of a nuclear spin ensemble's coherence to three gargantuan milliseconds. The team characterized the heat noise affecting nuclear quadrupole interactions in a quantum system and used the same source of noise to offset itas the article suggests, their system works similarly to noise-canceling headphones.

Star yummy: Astronomers using the Neil Geherls Swift Observatory report that a sun-like star in a nearby galaxy is gradually being consumed by a small black hole. Caught in an elliptical orbit around the black hole, the star loses the equivalent mass of about three earths every time it swings close, like a hot dog on a string swinging around a beagle.

The researchers detected a bright X-ray flash emanating from nearby galaxy 2MASX J02301709+2836050, and over subsequent observations, noticed that the source would shine brightly for seven to 10 days and abruptly diminish, repeating over 25 days. All of this represents a newly discovered phenomenon one of the astronomers calls a "repeated, partial tidal disruption event," and fills in a gap in the knowledge of black hole feeding behavior.

Journal information: Scientific Reports

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Saturday Citations: Quantum coherence; rising coal emissions; 'more uses of snail mucus are being discovered every day' - Phys.org