Physics
More than 100 charged calcium atoms chilled to extremely low temperatures have been arranged into a two-dimensional crystal, which could be used for studying quantum materials or building quantum computations
Calcium ions are released through the triangular funnel and caught by electric potentials on top of the metallic chip
IQOQI/D. Jordan
The largest two-dimensional crystal of extremely cold, charged atoms ever created could be used to study poorly understood quantum materials, as well as for building quantum computers.
Some crystals exhibit intriguing quantum behaviours like unusual magnetism or perfect conduction of electricity, but understanding what each atom is doing to make that happen can be difficult to determine experimentally and impossible to simulate on a computer. So, since the 1990s, researchers have …
Article amended on 26 April 2023
We corrected the type of force used to corral the ions and counteract their motion
