Silicon Defect Proves a Photonic Keystone to Quantum Internet

A research team at Simon Fraser University (SFU) exploited a defect in silicon that it believes will enable the realization of massively scalable quantum computers — and the quantum internet that will connect them. Previous research has indicated silicon as a suitable material for producing stable and long-lived qubits. The current research provides proof of principle that T centers, a specific luminescent defect in silicon, can provide a photonic link between qubits. A single T center qubit in the silicon lattice, which supports the first single spin to ever be optically observed in silicon. The constituents of the T center (two carbon atoms and a hydrogen atom) are shown as orange, and the optically addressable electron...