Boston Globe reporter Alyssa Meyers writes that researchers from MIT and Harvard have demonstrated one of the largest quantum simulators that can trap individual atoms in laser beams. Prof. Vladan Vuletić explains that it is, “a major advance is to be able to align and arrange individual atoms so we can hold on to them and track them.”
Prof. Scott Aaronson speaks with New Scientist reporter Jacob Aron about Google’s D-Wave quantum computer. “This is certainly the most impressive demonstration so far of the D-Wave machine’s capabilities,” says Aaronson. “And yet, it remains totally unclear whether you can get to what I’d consider ‘true quantum speedup’ using D-Wave’s architecture.”
Professor Vladan Vuletić and his colleagues have successfully developed a new technique for simulating friction between two surfaces at the nanoscale, reports Davide Castelvecchi for Nature. The research “could bring enormous savings by reducing friction between the moving parts of machines,” writes Castelvecchi.
Robert Ferris writes for CNBC that MIT researchers have developed a new technique for creating surfaces that can slide past each other without friction. The researchers hope to use the technique to “build devices that can preserve themselves by being nearly immune to friction.”
New Scientist reporter Jacob Aron writes about MIT graduate student Theodore Yoder’s work upgrading a quantum search algorithm to make it more effective. The new algorithm lets users “hone in on specific answers without knowing in advance how many there are,” Aron explains.
Professor Scott Aaronson discusses what might lie beyond quantum computing in a piece he wrote for PBS’ The Nature of Reality .
MIT Professor Seth Lloyd writes about the field of quantum biology in this piece that appeared on PBS.org.