A solution to one of the key challenges in the development of quantum technologies has been proposed by University of Sussex
physicists1. In a paper published today (28 October) in Nature Communications, Professor Barry Garraway and colleagues show how to make a new type of flexibly designed
microscopic2 trap for atoms.
Quantum technology devices, such as high-precision
sensors3 and specialised superfast computers, often depend on harnessing the delicate interaction of atoms. However, the methods for trapping these tiny particles are hugely problematic because of the atoms' tendency to interact with their
immediate4 environment.
The Sussex team, in
collaboration5 with the University of Strathclyde, have now shown that a new technique involving electromagnetic
induction6 could be the solution.
Professor Garraway says: "Our findings are significant because future quantum technologies will depend on confining and manipulating cold atoms. The design of those traps is normally extremely complex and involves
stringent7 requirements for scale and smoothness. Our new approach is simple to
implement8 using a chip-based technology, which is flexible and very
robust9.
"This is another step towards the development of new quantum technologies that will revolutionise many aspects of our lives. Already, our researchers in Atomic,
Molecular10 and Optical Physics (AMO) are developing devices that could
radically11 change how we measure time,
navigate12 our world, sense our gravitational field and solve seemingly impossible mathematical problems."