It's
far too soon to tell what form mind-numbingly
fast quantum computers will take, but a good
bet is they'll end up resembling today's integrated
circuits. One experiment in using superconducting
circuits has produced a linked pair of quantum
bits. This not-so-simple feat gives a big
boost to the chip-based approach to quantum
computers. Full
story
Cheap
solar power on deck
Much cheaper solar energy could be on the way thanks
to a solar cell that uses separate components to
absorb light and to harvest electrons. Ordinary
solar cells use silicon to do both. Separating the
functions means you can use a much cheaper semiconductor.
The trick is getting electrons to fly straight and
true.
Paper
speeds video access
One of the oldest interfaces combined with a decades-old
technology makes one of the newest media easier
to use. Adding barcodes to printed transcripts turns
out to be a good way to search digital video on
handheld computers.
Chip
device gets to the point
Moving individual atoms around means being able
to isolate a single atom, then place it with atomic
precision. A chip-based positioner promises to let
researchers practice atomic positioning using pocket-size
equipment. The device could also play a key role
in next-generation, ultrahigh-capacity data storage.
