quantum

40 years ago three researchers insisted on blurring the borders of quantum physics, today they have won the Nobel

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It was 1935 and Erwin Schrödinger was already tired of reading nonsense. It was not a decade since the birth of modern quantum mechanics, but the world had already filled with delusional pseudophilosophical reflections on what reality really was. It was then that poor Erwin inflated his noses and decided to talk to us about his cat. The happy cat of Schrödinger. Of his cat, of a closed opaque box and, in addition, of a container with a poisonous gas. The container in question is controlled by an opening device that only works if a radioactive particle disintegrates over a certain period of time. After that period, the probability that the cat is dead is 50% and that it is also alive of 50%. “If we do not open the box,” the standard version of this ‘paradox’ tells us, “the cat will be alive and dead at the same time.” Or, in other words, we could be calm: as long as we did not open the box, the cat would not be really dead. According to many interpreters, in fact, it would be the one that opens the box that kills the cat. No one understands poor Erwin. The interesting thing about all this is that, although it has been used to the fed up to illustrate The idea of ​​quantum overlapSchrödinger used it to demonstrate how absurd it was to apply categories of quantum mechanics to the real world (macroscopic). For the Austrian physicist, the happy cat would be alive or dead regardless of the opening of the box or not. But … what if not? However, half a century after all this, there were a group of researchers from the University of Berkeley who did not have it so clear. For some years it was known that we were missing a key piece to understand the process of molecular disintegration. That is, “the ability of individual particles to disintegrate is well known” (this is, for example, the physical fact that there is Behind carbon-14); What happens is that according to what we knew about physics, that could not be. The particles should not disintegrate. Between 1984 and 1985, John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret and John M. Martinis They performed a series of experiments With a closed electrical circuit with superconductors and showed that, well, Schrödinger was wrong. How was it wrong? As I say, the intention of the cat’s mental experiment was “to demonstrate the absurdity of this situation, since the special properties of quantum mechanics usually disappear on a macroscopic scale. The quantum properties of a complete cat cannot be demonstrated in a laboratory experiment.” However, since these researchers were successful in demonstrating that the very strange properties of the quantum world can also be seen in a larger system, none of this is so clear. This explains very well people like Anthony Leggett Because, although “a macroscopic system composed of numerous pairs of Cooper remains many orders of magnitude smaller than a kitten”, the key of the experiment is that “there are phenomena that involve a large number of particles that, together, behave as they predict quantum mechanics.” A Nobel to kill a cat. “It would surprise you very much if the ball suddenly appeared on the other side of the wall. In quantum mechanics, this type of phenomenon is called a tunnel effect and is precisely the type of phenomenon that has given it the reputation of being strange and not very intuitive,” explained the award committee. That is precisely what these researchers showed that it could happen at the macroscopic level. But they did something else. And I do not mean to lay the foundations that have allowed us to create the technological system we know: from the transistors of the computer microchips that we see everywhere to quantum cryptography. No. I mean blurring the wall that separated the world from the very small with the world we know. Along the way, “they killed a cat”; But because of the gap they opened, one of the best science we have was sneaked. Image | Nobel Foundation In Xataka | Don’t call it “Nobel Prize,” call it “how Swedes are dynamiting current science”

Physicists believed that the neglect was a useless particle. Now they suspect that it is the key to universal quantum computers

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Experts Quantum computing with those who have had the opportunity to speak, such as Spanish physicists Ignacio Cirac either Juan José García RipollThey argue that quantum computers will be able to make great contributions when they are capable of amend your own mistakes. The main problem they face in this area is noise, understood as the disturbances that can alter the internal state of the cubits and introduce calculation errors. The strategy for which many of the research groups that are involved in the development of quantum computers are opting for monitoring the operations carried out by the cubits to identify real -time errors and correct them. The problem is that from a practical point of view This strategy is very challenging. Logical cubits represent a way to overcome the difficulty involved in the use of hardware or physical cubits, which are extremely noise sensitive, and, therefore, prone to make mistakes. Each logical cubit is constructed abstractly on several physical or hardware cubits, so that a single logical cubit encodes a single cubit of quantum information, but with redundancy. It is precisely this redundancy that allows to detect and correct the errors that are present in the physical cubits. Anyway, the researchers will have one more tool to deal with the errors of quantum computers. It can even be the most powerful resource that they currently have at your fingertips: the Neglectón. Universal quantum computers are one step closer One of the most promising research fields in this area is topological quantum computing. Its purpose is to protect the delicate quantum information that the cubits work coding it in the geometric properties of exotic particles known as ISING anions. An important note before moving forward: in condensed physics an anion is not the same as in chemistry. In fact, Ising’s anions are quasiparticles that, in theory, arise in some two -dimensional materials. Its existence has not yet been demonstrated experimentally, so they are a theoretical result at the moment. It seems a complicated concept, and it is, but in this article we do not need to deepen much more. What we do need is that Ising’s anions They are presumably much more robustand, therefore, resistant to errors that traditional cubits. In practice this implies that moving some anions around others in a specific way should allow researchers to carry out logical operations with them. This is the reason why they are so attractive in quantum computing. And, in addition, they have another great advantage: this configuration is largely immune to external noise. Ising’s anions are quasiparticles that, in theory, arise in some two -dimensional materials Currently, Ising’s anions are thoroughly investigating in the condensed matter laboratories of the entire planet because they are one of the main candidates to participate in the construction of universal quantum computers, and, therefore, immune to errors. Aaron Lauda, ​​professor of mathematics, physics and astronomy at the University of Southern California (USA), Holds the following: “By themselves, Ising’s anions cannot perform all the necessary operations for a general purpose quantum computer. The calculations they support are based on the ‘braided’ (branding), And they require physically moving anions around each other To carry out quantum logic. For Ising’s anions, this braided only allows a limited set of operations known as Clifford doors, which fall short with respect to all the power required for universal quantum computing. “ Fortunately, the research team led by Lauda has found a way to transform ISING anions into universal structures that are capable of performing any quantum calculation through braided. Its solution for the moment is only theoretical, but its potential is enormous. The surprising thing is that what they propose is to resort to a new type of anion known as Neglectón that was initially discarded when it was “discovered” in the theoretical framework. In fact, Neglelectón has gone from being a mathematical waste to be the new hope of quantum computers. In theory when combining Ising’s anions and neglect, universal quantum computing will be possible through braided. According to Aaron Lauda Only one neglect is needed because it remains in the stationary or static state while the calculations are carried out by braiding Ising anions around them. It is a surprising conclusion. One last note to conclude: The neglect is not a fundamental particlesuch as the electron or the quark; It is a theoretical quasiparticle that arises from the collective behavior of many other particles in a two -dimensional system. Let us trust that it is consolidated as the definitive tool that will allow researchers to carry quantum computing from theory to practice in a robust and efficient way. Image | IBM More information | Science Daily In Xataka | Bitcoin encryption and other cryptocurrencies will fall. And those responsible will be quantum computers

Quantum computers will change the world when they don’t make mistakes. This milestone is closer thanks to quantum gravity

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Some experts believe that all the effort that is being carried out in the field of Quantum computing Not anywhere. One of the members of the scientific community more critical of quantum computers is the Israeli mathematician Gil KalaiProfessor at Yale University. According to this researcher, the increase in the number of states of quantum systems and their complexity will cause them to end up behaving like classical computers, so the superiority of the former will end up evaporating. However, the absence of unanimous support by the scientific community should not tarnish the notable effort and advances that many research groups are doing, some of them in Spanish institutions such as the CSIC and others integrated into the structure of companies that have very bulky resources, such as IBM, Google or Intel, among others. In fact, as expected, the latter defend that the long -awaited error correction will reach quantum computers and will allow them to face a much broader fan of problems than that of current prototypes. Terra Quantum bets on quantum severity to correct errors The main problem facing quantum computers in the field of error correction is noise, understood as the disturbances that can alter the internal state of the cubits and introduce calculation errors. The strategy for which many of the research groups that are involved in the development of quantum computers are opting for monitoring the operations carried out by the cubits to identify real -time errors and correct them. The problem is that from a practical point of view this strategy is very challenging. QMM technology reduces errors by up to 35% in current quantum processors Logical cubits represent a way to overcome the difficulty of the use of hardware or physical cubits, which are extremely noise sensitive, and, therefore, prone to make mistakes. Each logical cubit is constructed abstractly on several physical or hardware cubits, so that a single logical cubit encodes a single cubit of quantum information, but with redundancy. It is precisely this redundancy that allows to detect and correct the errors that are present in the physical cubits. The error correction strategy proposed by the researchers of the Swiss Terra Quantum company is not an alternative to the solutions in which we have just inquired; It is a complement. In fact, as explained in the article they have published in Advanced Quantum Technologiesits QMM technology (Quantum Memory Matrix) Reduce errors by up to 35% in current quantum processors. And, in addition, it reaches 94% fidelity using ten times less cubits than conventional methods. An important note: Terra Quantum’s scientific article has been reviewed by pairs. Terra Quantum has tested its QMM technology in IBM superconductor processors, and works. It only requires adding a quantum circuit that does not alter the architecture of the processor, although it is very ingenious. In fact, its operation is inspired by A principle of quantum gravity which maintains that the space-time continuum can be described as a network of me memory cells. It is a complicated idea, it is true, but the really important thing is that we know that this theoretical concept is the one that has inspired Terra Quantum scientists the design of their quantum circuit of errors suppression. Anyway, this innovation joins the effort that IBM, the MIT and other organizations are making to invite us to tie the future of quantum computers with a very reasonable optimism. Image | IBM More information | Advanced Quantum Technologies In Xataka | Bitcoin encryption and other cryptocurrencies will fall. And those responsible will be quantum computers

In 2030 he plans to have the most powerful quantum computer that exists

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China and the US are the countries that are dedicating more resources to the development of Quantum technologies. And also those who are reaching The most relevant achievements. However, there is a country that has officialized its intention to lead in the medium term both in the field of Quantum computing as in the manufacture of semiconductors: Japan. In the middle of last April we tell you that the Riken Center for Quantum Computing and Fujitsu had just announced that they had developed in a joint project A superconductor quantum computer endowed with 256 cubits. A priori may not seem like a great achievement if we are in mind that IBM already has a condora superconductor quantum processor of 1,121 cubits, and also The Heron platform (5k) endowed with error mitigation. And the China Telecom Quantum Group (CTQG) and the Center for Excellence in Quantum Information and Quantum Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have developed The Xiaohong quantum processor of 504 superconductor cubits. However, Japan’s plan in the field of quantum machines does not end up here. And it is that in 2030 it intends to have a quantum computer 25% more powerful that the most capable that IBM will have at that time. 250 logical cubits to make a difference The design and tuning project of this ambitious quantum machine is already underway. And the Riken Center for Quantum Computing, Fujitsu and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science in Japan. This quantum computer will use superconductor cubits and a very advanced cooling system, presumably a dilution system similar to the employee by The machine they presented in April. Whatever your best asset, if you finally get to fruition, it will be its 250 logical cubits. Each logical ul Logical cubits represent a way to overcome the difficulty involved in the use of hardware or physical cubits, which are extremely noise sensitive, and, therefore, prone to make mistakes. Each logical cubit is constructed in an abstract way About several physical or hardware cubitsso that a single logical cubit encodes a single cubit of quantum information, but with redundancy. It is precisely this redundancy that allows to detect and correct the errors that are present in the physical cubits. Until very recently the number of hardware cubits that was necessary to implement a single logical cubit immune to errors was impracticable, but IBM says that he has found the solution To this problem. And presumably Fujitsu and the Riken center too. IBM is going to build The quantum computer ‘Starling’ in a new data center that will be housed in Paughkeepsie, New York (USA). This machine will bring together 200 logical cubits that, in theory, will allow you to execute 100 million quantum operations. IBM says that ‘Starling’ will be ready in 2029but, as I mentioned a few lines above, Fujitsu and Riken intend to have their quantum machine of 250 logical cubits in 2030. If they get it, they are likely to lead in this field. In any case, before that milestone arrives, much earlier, in 2026, they pursue to be ready A 1,000 cubits computer. They will not be 1,000 logical cubits; They will be 1,000 conventional cubits, and, therefore, prone to make mistakes. Even so, if Japan get it, only one step from the US and China will be placed in this field. Image | Fujitsu More information | Nikkei Asia In Xataka | Physicists believed that this quantum phenomenon was impossible. They were very wrong

Airplanes have been depending on GPS for decades. Some engineers have another idea to replace it: quantum technology

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Airbus and the company derived from Google focused on quantum technology and IA, Sandboxaq, have completed more than 150 flight hours Testing Magnava revolutionary system that uses Quantum sensors to detect the unique magnetic “fingerprints” of each point on the earth. The initial results have been promising, and are a sign that technology could rival the Traditional GPS and even overcome it in precision. Why is it relevant. The GPS has become the Achilles heel of modern aviation. Interference attacks and Spoofing They are dramatically increasing in conflicting areas such as the Middle East, Ukraine and Russia, and this It also affects civil flights. The military use these techniques to confuse missiles and drones, but the consequences extend dangerously to commercial aviation. Hence the importance of looking for a viable alternative to GPS. Magnav. Image: Sandboxaq The secret of its operation. Magnav has more or less the size of a toaster, and has a laser that shoots photons against electrons. When the laser goes out, these electrons release the absorbed photons with a unique energy firm that reflects the intensity of the earth’s magnetic field in that exact location. An artificial intelligence algorithm processes this information and compares it with detailed magnetic maps to determine the position of the plane. Each square meter of the planet has an unrepeatable magnetic firm, created by the iron particles of the earth’s core that magnetize the minerals of the cortex. More precision and more difficult to supplant. Unlike GPS, which depends on vulnerable digital signals from satellites, quantum sensors are completely analog and process data generated entirely on board. Jack Hidary, CEO of Sandboxaq, Explain that this makes them “essentially impossible to interfere or supplant.” During the evidence, Magnav managed to meet the standards of the Federal American Aviation Administration 100% of the time, maintaining precision within 2 nautical miles. Even more impressive, it reached a 550 -meter accuracy in 64% of the occasions. Beyond aircraft. The experts They predict A quantum sensor market valued between 1,000 and 6,000 million dollars by 2040. This technology promises to detect submarines and hidden tunnels in defensive applications, and weak magnetic signs of the heart and brain in medicine, allowing non -invasive diagnoses. Joe Depa, Global Innovation Director of EY, Underline That “we are not talking about something within 20 years, but about something that is here and now.” The next step. Sandboxaq plans to go first to the defense sector before expanding to commercial flights. Although more evidence and certifications are required, Hidary stands out that have overcome “the difficult part: demonstrate that technology works.” According to him, it is the “first novel absolute navigation system that we know in the last 50 years.” Cover image | Ross Parmly In Xataka | The 777x is Boeing’s great bet to return to the top: folding wings, redesign cabin and the largest engine in the world

A “real” quantum computer before 2030

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Spinq is one of the main manufacturers of Quantum computers from China. We discovered this company in early 2023 because it placed in the market An amazing quantum team Very compact that looked much more like a PC than one of the huge and exotic quantum computers of IBM, Google or Honeywell. However, Spinq machine technology It was very different to which the equipment with Superconductor cubits or ion traps. And it is that their cubits were implemented taking advantage of the possibility of measuring spin states of certain atoms of a molecule using nuclear magnetic resonance techniques (NMR). A brief note: the spin is an intrinsic property of elementary particles, as well as the electric charge, derived from its time of angular rotation. This strategy has allowed this Chinese company to point out some reasonably simple cubits, which can also operate in relatively little demanding environmental conditions. Spinq has ties with the Chinese government The computer we can see in the cover image of this article is the machine with spinq NMR cubits. This is a mature technology that has been known for more than two decades. In fact, the quantum computer that executed for the first time the quantum algorithm of Shor numbers factoring it. This happened in 2001. However, these cubits are very sensitive to noise, so this technique is not appropriate to put quantum processors with many cubits. Spinq plans to have a quantum machine of 100 cubits before expiring 2025 Another advantage of NMR cubits is that they are much simpler than superconductor cubits or those of trapped ions, so putting them ready is cheaper. Spinq says in Your website That their quantum computers Gemini Mini and Mini Pro, both of two cubits, and Triangulum II, of three cubits, They are low -cost quantum equipment. It makes sense that they are much cheaper than quantum computers with IBM or Google Superconductor cubits, and also that computers with Honeywell or Ionq ion traps. Even so, they are much more expensive than our PC. In fact, the first version of Triangulum, the most advanced of these compact quantum computers, cost approximately 56,000 euros in 2023. In any case, Spinq does not manufacture quantum machines for educational projects and to address some simple scientific problems; It also designs and produces quantum computers with much more ambitious superconductor cubits. According to SCMPthis company plans to have a quantum machine of 100 cubits before it expires 2025. It does not seem a great achievement if we are in mind that IBM has since 2023 ‘Condor’a quantum processor of 1,121 cubits, but Spinq’s plans do not end here. And before this decade ends up having prepared a quantum computer “useful to solve real world problems”, According to Spinq itself. To carry out this successful plan you will have to develop a machine with thousands of superconductor cubits, and, in addition, with the ability to amend your own mistakes. There is something that is worth not overlooked: this company has Very narrow ties with the Chinese government. In fact, has received a subsidy of the administration of Shenzhen and collaborates with the Harbin Institute of Technology and the Ministry of Education. There is no doubt about one thing: quantum technologies are a priority, and Spinq is one of its main assets. IBM also plans Having a quantum computer equipped with the ability to amend your errors before this decade ends, so for China it is essential to match this milestone. Image | Spinq More information | SCMP In Xataka | China manufactures quantum computers as if it were life in it. Its best plant is capable of producing eight at the same time

The almost instantaneous load batteries and a shelf life close to eternity are taking shape. Thanks to quantum physics

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Integrated circuits containing all our electronic devices, Solar panelsmagnetic resonance machines, The lasers or the atomic watches that allow the human being to measure time with an unprecedented precision would not be possible without the knowledge he has given us Modern Quantum Theory. And, of course, without this model we would not have Quantum computers. Objectively, and it is not at all an exaggeration, quantum physics is present in much of modern technology. During the last five years several research groups, such as the PSL Research University (University of Recherche Paris Sciences et Lettres), which resides in Paris (France), or that of the University of Pisa, in Italy, have tried to use the basic principles of quantum mechanics to point A new generation of batteries. And the results are getting little by little. This is its starting point: they pursue to use overlap, entanglement and superabsorption to tear down the limitations that electrochemical batteries currently impose. The quantum storage of energy is an ideal that is increasingly closer The main difference between quantum batteries and conventional electrochemicals is that the latter depend on chemical reactions, while quantum devices seek to store energy in the quantum states of some particles, such as, for example, photons. It seems complicated, and it is, but the really important thing for users is that quantum batteries on paper can be loaded almost instantaneously, they will have a much higher energy density, and, in addition, their degradation will be minimal as the load cycles pass. Quantum batteries can store energy in a superposition of multiple energy states simultaneously It sounds wonderful. So much, in fact, that seems science fiction. However, it is very important that, as we have just seen, let’s not overlook that their principle of operation will be, if they finally come to fruition, very different from that of conventional electrochemical batteries. Existing theoretical proposals argue that quantum batteries They can store energy in an overlap of multiple energy states simultaneously, which should allow them to deliver a much greater energy density. In addition, your theory load will be much faster, even almost instantaneous, due to the collective quantum effects of the quantum units that make them up. The most amazing thing in this field is that the higher the capacity of the quantum battery, the faster it will load. It is an intuitive characteristic, it is true, but it is possible precisely thanks to the collective quantum effects I just talked about. However, this is not all. And it is that on paper the degradation that these batteries will experience during energy transfer will be minimal, so your useful life will be much greater than that of conventional batteries. Perhaps, even, almost eternal if we compare it with the longevity of the human being. So far all the work that researchers had carried out in this area had condensed in purely theoretical models, but this panorama has just changed. And it is that several scientists from the universities that I have mentioned in the second paragraph of this text have published an article very interesting in which they propose How to make a quantum battery. Your idea is to use superconductor circuits produced with materials that exhibit essentially zero resistance at low temperatures. They have not yet manufactured anything, so it is evident that the hardest work, the experimental, is still pending. But there is no doubt that this proposal invites us to tie the future of quantum batteries with reasonable optimism. Image | Generated by Xataka with Gemini More information | Phys.org In Xataka | We have created the most lasting battery in history: 5,700 years thanks to the diamond and carbon-14

Exactly 100 years ago we began to understand how the world works. Quantum physics has radically changed our lives

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Well, not exactly 100 years ago. 100 years ago and one day. On July 9, 1925, German physicist Werner Heisenberg sent a letter to his friend Wolfgang Pauli, who at that time was already a very renowned theoretical physicist of Austrian origin. Heisenberg had been engaged for several months in the development of an idea that was permanently breaking with The classical conception of the atom as a tiny planetary system in which electrons orbit around a nucleus constituted by protons and neutrons. That letter contained several reflections that Pauli knew how to appreciate. In fact, shortly after receiving it Max Born, Pascual Jordan and Wolfgang Pauli himself took the work of Werner Heisenberg as a starting point to prepare for the first time in history a mature formulation of Quantum theory. The content of that letter supports nothing more and nothing less the most ambitious and precise framework in the history of science: Standard model of particle physics. Without him many of the technologies we enjoy today would not be possible. Quantum mechanics is very present in our day to day “Dear Pauli, if he believes that I read his letter laughing mockingly, he is deeply mistaken. Actually, the opposite happens; from Helgoland (it is a small German island located in the North Sea) my views on the mechanics have become more radical every day that passes, and I am firmly convinced that Bohr’s theory of the hydrogen atom in its current form Zeeman “. The article ‘Umdeutung’ (‘Reinterpretation’) of Heisenberg is considered the birth certificate of modern quantum theory The first lines of Heisenberg’s letter They clearly reflect the trust and respect he professed towards Pauli. And also how much the revolutionary ideas I had in mind were disturbed. In fact, a few lines later confess to having many doubts about the way he could carry out The rigorous formulation of those thoughts: “As for my own opinion about this scribble, with which I am not at all satisfied: I am firmly convinced of the value of the negative and critical part, but I consider that the positive part is rather poor. Even so, perhaps those most capable that I can get something sensible to it.” The scribble that Heisenberg speaks was actually the draft of his famous article ‘Umdeutung’ (‘Reinterpretation’), which shortly after was published. Many physicists consider that text the birth certificate of Modern Quantum Theory. Neither more nor less. Anyway, there is no doubt: during the next 100 years Heisenberg’s ideas and other physicists who also made decisive contributions to quantum theory, such as Wolfgang Pauli, Erwin Schrödinger, Max Born, Paul Am Douc, Niels Bohr or Albert Einstein, triggered the birth of many of the technologies we currently use. Integrated circuits containing all our electronic devices, Solar panelsmagnetic resonance machines, The lasers or the atomic watches that allow the human being to measure time with an unprecedented precision would not be possible without the knowledge that modern quantum theory has given us. And, of course, without this model we would not have Quantum computers. Objectively, and it is not at all an exaggeration, Quantum physics is present in much of modern technology. And all probability will continue to be in many of the innovations that will arrive in the future. That is not the slightest doubt. After all, it is the best tool we have to understand how the world works. Image | Generated by Xataka with Gemini More information | Cern In Xataka | The authentic alchemy is being made by the CERN: it has detected the transformation of lead into gold

A quantum solution for black holes

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The two families of physics They have not spoken for 100 years. Einstein’s general relativity describes with centenary precision The large-scale universe: how the planets, stars and galaxies deform the space-time fabric. On the other hand, quantum mechanics explains the strange and tiny world of subatomic particles. Both theories form the pillars of modern science, but are fundamentally incompatible. Unifying them in a single theory of “quantum severity” is, for decades, The Holy Grail of Physics. New research suggests that the key to achieving this could be hidden in the heart of the more enigmatic objects of the universe: Black holes. The impassable wall of physics. The problem is simple and the time incredibly complex. Quantum mechanics has managed to explain three of the four fundamental forces of nature: electromagnetism, strong nuclear force and weak nuclear force. Gravity, however, resists him. General relativity, our best theory of gravity, falls apart in the most extreme environments of the universe, precisely where quantum effects should be crucial. The clearest example of this rupture is the singularities, the theoretically infinite density points that are found In the center of black holes. For physicists, an infinity in an equation is an alarm signal that indicates that the theory has reached its limit. “We believe that general relativity only works on large or ‘macroscopic’ scales, but that in very short distances, or microscopic scales, it must be replaced by a quantum theory of gravity,” He explained to Space.com Theoretical physicist Xavier Calmet, author of a new study published in Europhysics Letters. A new recipe for black holes. Until now, string theory was the main candidate for this unification, in the absence of experimental verification. But Calmet and his team have adopted a different and surprisingly effective approach. Instead of a complete and finished quantum theory, they have used what is known as the “effective action of Vilkovisky-Dewitt” to calculate universal quantum corrections that should be applied to Einstein’s equations, regardless of the underlying theory. When applying these corrections, the team discovered something fascinating: in addition to black holes that arise from general relativity, there must also be holes born from “quantum solutions.” And it is not simple adjustments to the black holes we already knew. “They are completely new black holes that exist in a world of quantum gravity,” explains Calmet. New theoretical objects that emerge from the same mathematics, but with a quantum “flavor.” What all this means. Einstein’s relativity works great for huge things such as planets and galaxies (a continuous world); and quantum mechanics, for the tiny, like atoms (a world to jump). When it comes to explaining black holes, relativity predicts a singularity, an infinite density point that, in practice, tells us that the theory does not work anymore. What these physicists have done is to use a mathematical “patch” to add the basic quantum rules to relativity. This patch is the action of Vilkovisky-Dewittdeveloped by physicists Georgy Vilkovisky and Bryce Dewitt. In doing so, they not only fixed the “error”, but discovered that the new rules allow the existence of a completely new type of black hole, one that simply could not exist according to Einstein’s old rules. Can we ever see them? The study details how these solutions can be built near the events horizon, the border from which nothing can escape the black hole. Although these quantum solutions are theoretically different, distinguishing them from their classic counterparts is, for now, an almost impossible task. The most significant differences manifest very close to the horizon of events, a region that we cannot observe directly. “The astrophysical black holes that we are observing well could be described with our new solutions instead of those of general relativity,” Callmet concludes. “As both theories match great distances, it will be difficult to propose evidence capable of differentiating between the two types of solutions.” The theory shows that it is possible that There are black holes within a frame of quantum gravity. But the secrets of quantum gravity remain fiercely saved by these cosmic titans: the response to the greatest enigma of modern physics is not in a particle accelerator, but quietly orbiting in the darkness of space. Image | POT In Xataka | The Webb Telescope has observed quasars where they should not be. Something fails in the theory of black holes

Superconductor quantum computers are being sabotaged. Fortunately, several Chinese scientists have found those responsible

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Superconductor cubits are extremely fragile. Even so, if we stick to the number of companies that are working on this type of quantum bits it is reasonable to conclude that this is the technology that has greater support and greater investmentso, somehow, is the one that goes in the lead. This strategy is probably the one that will help us to have more cubits, but also It is more prone to make mistakes That ion traps cubits, which are one of the alternatives to superconductors. In addition, these last cubits are characterized by working at a temperature of about 20 millikelvin, which are approximately -273 degrees Celsius, with the purpose of operating with the greater degree of isolation of the possible environment. IBM is one of the companies that have opted to set Quantum computers With superconductor cubits, and plans to make available to its customers in 2029 ‘Starling’, its first large -scale quantum computer equipped with the capacity to amend your own mistakes. However, something happened that can complicate the plans of this and other companies involved in the development of quantum computers. And is that a group of researchers from the Academy of Quantum Information Sciences (China) has discovered that Cosmic rays and Gamma radiation They have the ability to cause errors in superconductor cubits. This discovery is very important because it justifies the need to develop technologies that allow building reliable quantum computers despite the interference of cosmic rays and gamma rays. These scientists have published the result of their research in Nature Communications. Cosmic rays are putting quantum computers in trouble Researchers from the Academy of Quantum Information Sciences of Beijing have carried out this discovery using a 63 -cubits superconductor quantum processor. However, their most ingenious idea led them to install muones detectors within the quantum computer cooling system. This strategy allowed them to realize that gamma rays and cosmic radiation were inducing the appearance of errors in the extremely fragile superconductor cubits, thus weakening their ability to maintain coherence. It is evident that to solve a problem it is essential to identify it and know its origin, so it is good news that these scientists have made this discovery. However, before concluding this article I propose that we review briefly What are these two forms of radiation. Cosmic rays are constituted by high -energy ionized atomic nuclei that move through space at a speed very close to that of light (which is approximately 300,000 km/s). Cosmic rays are constituted by high -energy ionized atomic nuclei that move through space at a speed very close to that of light That they are ionized indicates that they have acquired electric charge because they have been stripped of their electrons, but, curiously, these atomic nuclei are made of the same matter that constitutes us and everything that surrounds us. However, and here comes the first surprise, the atomic nuclei that constitute the cosmic rays are distributed in a different way to the subject that shapes us. Hydrogen and helium are much more abundant in our solar system than in cosmic rays, while other heavier elements, such as lithium, beryllium or boron, are ten thousand times more abundant in cosmic radiation. One of the most important characteristics of cosmic radiation is its essentially perfect isotropy. This parameter reflects that the rays arrive from all directions with the same frequency, which indicates that they must coexist simultaneously numerous sources capable of generating them. And this invites us to ask ourselves one more question: where cosmic radiation comes from. A good part of the cosmic rays we receive proceed from outside our solar system. Of other stars. And travel through space with enormous energy until impacting with the atoms present in the upper layers of the atmosphere of our planet. Finally, Gamma radiationwhich is the most energetic and the most penetrating of all, requires the emission of a high -energy photon, usually known as Rayo Gamma, so the atomic nucleus maintains its original structure. Some of these high -energy photons are able to cross very thick concrete walls and lead plates, so this is the most dangerous radiation form of all. More information | Nature Communications In Xataka | Bitcoin encryption and other cryptocurrencies will fall. And those responsible will be quantum computers

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