THREE electrons have been entangled, marking a significant step towards quantum computers.
Attempts to entangle multiple quantum bits of information, or qubits, usually involve using ions or photons. But Roberto Merlin at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and his team have used electrons and a semiconductor, which should be easier to build into a computer. They fired laser pulses at semiconducting cadmium telluride. The laser generated “excitons” – excited electrons and positive “holes” – that interacted with extra electrons in the material, entangling them. Entangling more than two qubits is crucial for an effective quantum logic system.
