Researchers at MIT have developed a diamond-based quantum sensor on a silicon chip in a move that could cut costs for quantum computing, sensing and communication. It uses defects in diamonds, called nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centres, which can be controlled with light and microwaves. With further refining, the sensor could have a range of applications, from mapping electrical impulses in the brain to detecting objects, even without a line of sight. The researchers incorporated components including a microwave generator, an optical filter and a photodetector using conventional methods, but at a fraction of the size of existing NV sensors. Quantum computers are expected to outperform classical computers, such as those based on silicon, by processing large numbers of qubits simultaneously, or trillions per second.
Researchers at MIT have developed a diamond-based quantum sensor on a silicon chip in a move that could cut costs for quantum computing, sensing and communication. It uses defects in diamonds, called nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centres, which can be controlled with light and microwaves. The researchers incorporated components including a microwave generator, an optical filter and a photodetector using conventional methods, but at a fraction of the size of existing NV sensors. Quantum computers are expected to outperform classical computers, such as those based on silicon, by processing large numbers of qubits simultaneously, or trillions per second.