Scientists recreate a bizarre quantum effect that stops a particle cold
A particle does not have to pass through a magnetic field to be influenced by it. That surprising feature of quantum physics has now been recreated by researchers at the University of Oxford, who used a hybrid quantum computer to demonstrate how an invisible magnetic influence can bring a simulated particle's movement to a complete stop.
The experiment reproduced a phenomenon known as the Aharonov-Bohm effect, in which a charged particle traveling around a region containing magnetic flux experiences a measurable change in its quantum state, even though its path never takes it through the magnetic field itself.
The Oxford team achieved this using a quantum system that combines qubits, the basic units of quantum information, with quantum oscillators, which represent vibrating motion. Their findings, published in Nature Physics, demonstrate how this combination could help scientists investigate fundamental interactions between matter and fields that are increasingly difficult to simulate...
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