Diamond could serve as quantum memory storage

Science News : A new way to manipulate atoms inside diamond crystals so that they store information long enough to function as quantum memory is being developed, writes Devin Powell for Science News. But the scientists involved aren’t looking for perfect diamonds, rather for ones with defects. One of the most common defects in diamond is nitrogen, which turns the stone yellow. When a nitrogen atom sits next to a vacant spot in the carbon crystal, the intruding element provides an extra electron that moves into the hole. Several years ago, scientists learned how to change the spin of such electrons using microwave energy and put them to work as quantum bits, or qubits. Diamond memory has several advantages: It works at room temperature, it’s very stable, and it can be scaled up to larger sizes. David Awschalom of the University of California, Santa Barbara, discussed the technique at the American Physical Society’s March meeting in Dallas, Texas.