PHONONS

Why in News?:

IBM Researchers have developed an Acoustic Beam-Splitter to manipulate Phonons to be used for Quantum Computing, potentially solving complex problems beyond the reach of conventional Computers.

Beam-splitterssplit a beam of light into two parts. The working of a beam-splitter draws on quantum physics.

What are Phonons?:

A collective excitation in a periodic, elastic arrangement of atoms or molecules in condensed matter, specifically in solids and some liquids.

They are packets of vibrational energy that arises from oscillating atoms within a crystaland can be considered as the quantum equivalent of sound.

Similar to photons, which are packets of light energy, phonons can potentially serve as units of information in quantum computing (qubits).

The challenge lies in identifying methods to manipulate phonons analogous to the manipulation of electrons or photons.

What is Acoustic Beam-Splitter?:

It is a small device shaped like a comb with metal bars. It was placed in a short channel made of lithium niobate.

At each end there was a superconducting qubit that could emit and detect individual Phonons.

The whole setup was kept at very low temperatures.

When a phonon was emitted from one side, it was reflected half the time and transmitted to the other side the other half.

What is Quantum Computing?:

Rapidly emerging technology that harnesses the laws of quantum mechanics to solve problems too complex for classical computers.

A subfield of physics that describes the behavior of particles — atoms, electrons, photons, and almost everything in the molecular and sub molecular realm.