Physicists at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) in Munich, Germany have demonstrated a way for nanotubes to store information in the form of vibrations, opening the door to the possibility of replacing traditional, but still mostly experimental, systems based on electrically charged particles held in an “electromagnetic trap” that require extensive shielding with “nanomechanical devices.” Because nanomechanical devices are not charged, they are less sensitive to electrical interference than traditional systems.
According to the research team, “a carbon nanotube that is clamped at both ends can be excited to oscillate . . . among many physically equivalent states.” However, by placing an electric field near the nanotube, the research team was able to selectively choose two of the many possible states, allowing for information in the vibrations to be read and written optoelectronically.
“Our concept is based on available technology,” Michael Hartmann, head of the Quantum Optics and Quantum Dynamics research group at TUM, said. “It could take us a step closer to the realization of a quantum computer.”
For more information, visit Technische Universitaet Muenchen.
