Nearly 60 years ago, Nobel Prize-winning physicist Nikolaas Bloombergen predicted a new phenomenon called nuclear electrical resonance. But no one has been able to demonstrate it in action – until now.
Actual evidence of nuclear electrical resonance was accidentally discovered in a laboratory at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Australia, thanks to faulty equipment. The breakthrough gives scientists a new level of control over nuclei and could dramatically accelerate the development of quantum computers.
Central to this phenomenon is the idea of controlling the rotation of individual atoms with electric rather than magnetic fields. This means more precise control of the cores, which can affect various fields of science.
“This discovery means that we now have the ability to build quantum computers using monatomic spins without the need for any vibrational magnetic field to operate,” says quantum physicist Andrea Morello of UNSW.
“Moreover, we can use these nuclei as exquisitely accurate sensors for electric and magnetic fields, or to answer fundamental questions in quantum science.”
In some situations, nuclear electrical resonance can replace nuclear magnetic resonance, which is widely used today for various purposes: to scan human bodies, chemical elements, rock formations, and more.
The problem with a magnetic field is that it requires high currents, large coils, and considerable space.
If you want to monitor individual atomic nuclei – perhaps for quantum computing or very small sensors – then nuclear magnetic resonance isn't a very good tool to work with.
“Performing magnetic resonance is like trying to move a specific ball onto a pool table by lifting and shaking the entire table,” Morello says. 'We will move the target ball, but we will also move all the others.'
“Taking a break in electrical resonance is like giving a real billiard stick to hit the ball exactly where you want it.”
It was during the nuclear magnetic resonance experiment that UNSW researchers solved the problem posed by Bloombergen in 1961, and it was all related to a broken antenna. After some unexpected results, the researchers realized that their equipment was malfunctioning – and demonstrated nuclear electrical resonance.
With subsequent computer simulations, the team was able to show that electric fields can affect the nucleus at a fundamental level, distorting the atomic bonds around the nucleus and causing it to reorient.
Now that scientists know how nuclear electrical resonance can work, they can explore new ways to use it. Moreover, we can add this to a growing list of significant scientific discoveries that have been made by accident.
“This remarkable result will open up a treasure trove of discoveries,” says Morello. “The system we created is sophisticated enough to study how the classical world we experience every day emerges from the quantum realm.”
'Moreover, we can use its quantum complexity to create sensors for electromagnetic fields with significantly improved sensitivity. And all this in a simple electronic device made of silicon with a small voltage applied to a metal electrode. '
The study was published in the journal Nature.
Sources: Photo: UNSW / Tony Melov
