Researchers “Split” Phonons in Step Toward New Type of Linear Mechanical Quantum Computer

The experiments are the first of their kind and could lead to new advances in computing. A team at the University of Chicago has explored the quantum properties of phonons, the quantum particles that transmit sound. They have shown that phonons can be “split” into a quantum superposition and behave like photons, suggesting that phonons could be used in a new type of quantum computer, a linear mechanical quantum computer, which could perform unique calculations.