Deep in outer space, invisible hands mold the universe. One is dark matter, an unseen substance thought to bind distant galaxies. The other is dark energy, a force believed to push stellar structures apart with gravity-defying strength.
Searching for signs of these strange cosmic influences, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility designed a device to measure their supposed effects on spinning electrons. Then, they realized the idea held promise in another realm: quantum computing.
Quantum computers are the next frontier in information technology. Once confined to far-off theory and science fiction, these machines harness the wacky, wonderful forces of the submicroscopic world to solve problems that might be too tough for classical computers—think 1s and 0s—and even the massive, extreme-scale supercomputers of today.
The booming, global pursuit has made tremendous leaps in recent years, with large tech companies, startups and governments pursuing a mixed bag of platforms—each with strengths and weaknesses. But owing to the delicate mechanics on which these systems operate, the decades-long quest to bring them into reliable and practical use has so far proven elusive.
Now, a Jefferson Lab-led team is throwing its hat into the proverbial ring with a unique "CPU" born from particle accelerator technology and the study of the visible universe. It could rival or even outperform some of the noisy, energy-hungry prototypes being explored.
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