Physicist Dietrich Leibfried said that quantum computers could eventually look like a smart phone combined with a laser pointer-like device. Sophisticated machines might have an overall footprint comparable to a regular desktop PC.
Researchers at the Vienna University of Technology are using microwaves with the quantum states of a diamond to pave the way to a possible quantum computer microchip. Quantum computers can occupy several different states at the same time. This makes it possible for quantum computers to be much faster than a regular computer, sort of a processor on steroids if you allow the analogy.
Johannes Majer at VUT and his team coupled microwaves and diamonds, two completely different kinds of quantum systems. The scientists used a flawed diamond, where nitrogen atoms are present in the regular carbon structure. This made the diamond almost black but a much better mode of data transfer.
Quantum states can be transferred between the microwaves and the nitrogen centers in the diamond. The more nitrogen atoms present to take part in this transfer of quantum information, the more stable the diamonds “memory” becomes. The researchers also found that the angular momentum of the atomic nuclei can store quantum information. A property that could be used to make a nuclear memory device in the future.