Sumsted Light created – Here’s what it means for the future of quantum technology

From theory to application

Now their focus is shifted from the theory of application as they explore that this discovery can take a way to progress in quantum computers and photon technologies, including optical neuronic networks that run artificial intelligence.
Daniele Sanvitto, a prominent physicist specializing in light and substances interactions, conducted a survey in the Italian National Research Council (CNR).

« We actually found a super firmness phase in a state that combines light and substance, » said Sandvitto, director of research at the Nanotechnology Institute (CNR Nanotec) in Lecce, Italy and the coordinator of a four-year research initiative funded by the EU called Q-None.

Combining the expertise of scientists from the leading research institutes in Italy, Austria and the United States, the team managed to create a state of light and substances that resembled crystalline strength at the same time, but moved like a liquid.

This discovery was achieved by exploiting a hybrid particle known as excitone-polariton, which combines the properties of light (photons) and substances (excitone). In addition to her help, researchers open new scientific chapters with possible applications that go beyond the boundaries of laboratory – in Europe and beyond.

This great discovery in quantum physics also comes at a key moment. On May 16, we celebrate International Light Day, the anniversary of the first use of Laser in 1960 by American physicist Theodore Maiman.

Exploring super-solid substances within the Q-None project shows how much this area of ​​research has progressed since then.

Super firm light

Most of us are familiar with the standard states of the substance – firmly, liquid and gaseous. But there are other exotic states that can be created, such as super -tekuns, liquids that flow without resistance. A super firm condition is another exotic state.

« If superccins get some decorated structure in space, such as crystals, then it is called a super firm substance, » Sandvitto said. « It looks like a solid substance, but at the same time it can move, in principle, no friction. »

Eight years ago, Sanvitto and his team showed that light can behave like a liquid inside the semiconductor. Now this research has expanded by creating a decorated structure made of unusual light particles-wing.

They arise when photons-light particles-strongly interact with electronic excitement in the semiconductor, creating hybrid particles known as excitone-polaritones.

Because they combine the properties of light and substances, they open new opportunities to manipulate light in ways that have not been possible before.

Super -solid substances – materials that behave both as a solid and super -tethem – have so far been recorded exclusively in ultra -cold atomic gases. But that begins to change.

« We have shown the first to show that super firm substances can also be formed in solid structures that do not require extremely cold temperatures, » Sandvitto said.

This discovery allows research to actual applications without the need for complex and ultra -cold laboratory settings used for atomic condensate. This will potentially establish the path to new technologies in computing, sensory systems and numerous other areas. « It’s exciting because it means that we can explore brand new physical phenomena in a semiconductor chip. »

Quantum states

Project researchers want to create and determine different quantum states of substances using polaritonian quantum neuronic networks.
« Our goal in the Q-One project research is to use the strong non -linear properties of polariton to build an artificial neural network that can not only determine, but to potentially create quantum states of light, » Sandvitto said.

The research team of the Q-One project is not the only group to explore the intersection of quantum conditions and artificial intelligence. Since 2010, Professor Barbara Piętka, a physicist at the University of Warsaw, also runs a research group aimed at excitone-polaritone.

Piętka currently coordinates a four -year research project called Polart, supported by the European Innovation Council. Her team cooperates closely with the Sandvit team at CNR in Italy, like other leading researchers in the area from France, Italy, Poland and Singapore.

Neural networks

Their work is especially explored by ways of using excitone-polariton with artificial neural networks.
« Excitone-Polaritoni is our foundation, » Piętka said. « We use these particles, known as quasištests, to build large neural networks. »

According to Piętka, much of what they do is enabled by work like Sandittov, which showed that excitone-polyritons can be used to build advanced neural computer networks-computer networks that mimic the structure and function of the human brain and nervous system.

One of the opportunities explored by the project team is to be installed on chips with the use of crystals made of material called Perovskit. Compared to traditional computer chips that mimic neural networks, an approach based on polariton consumes significantly less energy and provides higher processing speeds.

« We can perform one surgery by using only a few photons, » Piętka said.

Larger, faster, better

Piętka and its team work to increase neural networks based on polariton to deal with increasingly complex tasks.
« We build increasing networks that allow us to solve more sophisticated challenges, » he explains.

This approach could eventually encourage faster and more effectively large language models. These advanced artificial intelligence models are designed to function well with the use of smaller resources and become increasing in our everyday life.
« The bigger the net, the more advanced the task it can do, » Piętka said.

Leading role

According to Sanvitt, Europe is currently at the forefront of exploration of excitone-polariton.
« The competition is intense – especially given the great Chinese investment in science – but Europe currently leads much of the area, » he said.

Piętka agrees, noting that research of polaritone neural networks are still mostly concentrated in Europe.
However, this leadership, partly thanks to the EU financing, especially through the European Research Council and the European Innovation Council, it is in danger of fading if we do not increase investment in science.

« It is crucial for Europe to continue to invest in this research and generally in the basic science to keep it in the advantage, » Sandvitto said.

Both teams still have a job in front of them – and great hopes. « The ultimate goal is to develop a network that processes data with maximum speed and efficiency, » Piętka said.

The research in this article was funded by the European Innovation Council (EIC). The attitudes of respondents do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Commission.

Researchers funded by the EU have created super firmness in the laboratory and are now exploring that this unusual new state of substance may be powered by technologies in the real world.

Author Jonathan O’Callaghan

More information:
Q-One
Polart
Quantum – shaping the digital future of Europe
EU and artificial intelligence in science

This article was originally published in the magazine Horizon, The EU Research and Innovation Journal.