A nuclear-spin dark state essentially 'hides' an atom's nucleus from external disturbances by synchronizing the spins of atomic nuclei, thus preventing them from disrupting an electron's spin. This synchronization stabilizes the electron spin, crucial for quantum calculations and information storage.
John Nichol, Associate Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Rochester, emphasizes that this confirmation validates decades of theoretical predictions and unlocks avenues for creating more advanced quantum systems. The team employed dynamic nuclear polarization to align nuclear spins, inducing the formation of the dark state and subsequently measuring its impact on electron-nuclei interactions.
The implications of this research span various quantum technologies, including quantum sensing and quantum memory. By diminishing noise, the breakthrough allows quantum devices to retain information for extended periods and execute calculations with heightened precision. Furthermore, the stability of nuclear-spin dark states makes them suitable for long-term data storage and precise measurements of magnetic fields, temperature, and pressure, potentially revolutionizing medical imaging and navigation. The fact that the nuclear-spin dark state was discovered in silicon makes the discovery even more exciting for possible future applications. Silicon is already widely used in today's technology, which means it may someday be possible to integrate nuclear-spin dark states into future quantum devices.
Separately, researchers at the University of Barcelona have achieved the first description of black holes without singularities using pure gravity, without exotic matter. According to Pablo A. Cano, one of the authors of the work, the theoretical model works for any space-time with changes greater or equal to five.