Diamond defect boosts quantum technology

New research shows that a remarkable defect in synthetic diamond produced by chemical vapor deposition allows researchers to measure, witness, and potentially manipulate electrons in a manner that could lead to new "quantum technology" for information processing. The study is published in the January 31, 2014, issue of Physical Review Letters.

Normal computers process bits, the fundamental ones and zeros, one at a time. But in quantum computing, a "qubit" can be a one or a zero at the same time. This duplicitous state can allow multitasking at an astounding rate, which could exponentially increase the computing capacity of a tiny, tiny machine.