Physicists from the University of New South Wales (Australia) discovered the phenomenon of nuclear electrical resonance. This was reported in the journal Nature.
The ability to control the state of the atomic nucleus by means of oscillations of the electric field was predicted by Nobel laureate Nicholas Blombergen in 1961. However, the solution to the problem faced by scientists for almost 60 years was found as a result of an accidental combination of circumstances.
NER vs. NMR
At present, the phenomenon of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is known - the effect on the nuclei of atoms using an external electromagnetic field. The generation of magnetic fields requires large coils and strong currents, and the field of propagation of such fields is very difficult to limit - they affect a group of atoms.
With the discovery of nuclear electric resonance (NER), it is possible to pointly control atomic nuclei, the researchers believe. Unlike electromagnetic, an electric field can be created at the tip of a tiny electrode.
“This discovery means that we are embarking on the path of creating quantum computers using the spin of a separate nucleus, without the need for an oscillating magnetic field,” says Andrea Morello, professor of quantum engineering at the University of New South Wales, at the University of New South Wales.
According to him, acting on the quantum state of individual atoms, you can turn them into high-precision sensors of magnetic and electric fields.
- The discovery provides new opportunities in the development of nanoelectronic devices
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To compare the capabilities of NMR and NER, the scientist compares their principles of working with a pool table.
“Creating magnetic resonance is like trying to move a specific ball on a pool table by raising and shaking the table,” Morello continues. “We will move the ball we need, but with it all the others.” The breakthrough associated with the use of electrical resonance is similar to being given a billiard cue. ”
Curiosity and chance
The experiment that led to the discovery was originally conceived as an attempt to influence the nucleus of an antimony atom with the help of NMR and to explore the boundary between the quantum world and the world of classical mechanics. The project, according to the assurance of the scientists themselves, was due to pure curiosity and did not solve any applied problems. Moreover, they did not know anything about the prediction of Nicholas Blombergen.
- University of New South Wales
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“As soon as we started the experiment, we realized that something was wrong. The core behaved very strangely, refused to respond at some frequencies, but showed a strong reaction to others. This puzzled us for a while, and then the insight came: instead of magnetic, we created an electric resonance, ”recalls Vincent Mauric, one of the research leaders.
According to scientists, the experiment required a strong magnetic field, for the creation of which a special antenna was built. When a large amount of energy was supplied, the antenna was partially damaged, but continued to work, creating a strong electric field instead of a magnetic one.
Further research and computer-aided mathematical modeling of nuclear-electric resonance showed that the electric field distorts atomic bonds around the nucleus, causing it to reorient itself.
“This momentous result is the key to a treasury full of discoveries,” Professor Morello summed up.
According to him, a simple electronic device made of silicon with a small electrode at low voltage opens a new chapter in the field of nanoelectronics, in the development of quantum computers and sensors.