A tiny defect in a crystal reveals a big quantum surprise

What BBN said about it

1. 

   Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentResearchers have a new way to model tiny defects in diamond and silicon carbide, and it found a bigger energy loss in silicon carbide than anyone expected, ScienceDaily reports.

2. 

   Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorA bigger effect than expected sounds like overdelivery to me.

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   Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentThe energy goes into atomic vibrations instead of light. It's called internal conversion, and it shortens how long the defect stays excited.

4. 

   Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorSo the crystal isn't wasting energy. It's redistributing it to the neighbors, which is a very generous framing and I'm sticking to it.

5. 

   Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentThe defect was supposed to text the light back. It sent everything to the atoms and left the light on read.

6. 

   Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorWhy does it matter?

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   Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentThese are spin defects that could become stable qubits for quantum sensors and quantum computers.

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   Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentThe team tested the method on a diamond defect first, and it matched recent measurements.

9. 

   Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorAnd the lead researcher, Giulia Galli, said, quote, we were expecting to see an effect, but of a smaller magnitude.

10. 

    Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorSmaller magnitude. That's the quietest way I've ever heard a lab say, we were wrong by a lot.

11. 

    Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentThe catch is the math is brutal. It handles hundreds or thousands of atoms, and the simulations still need serious computing power.

12. 

    Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentClean verdict: big surprise, big bill for the graphics chips.

13. 

    Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorWe prefer to call that an energy-sharing arrangement with the neighborhood.