Blog: Toshiba Invention Brings Quantum Computing Closer

Toshiba Invention Brings Quantum Computing Closer
Reuters (06/02/10) Hirschler, Ben

Researchers at Toshiba's research center in Cambridge, England, have designed a device that could open the way to super-fast quantum computing through the development of ultra-powerful semiconductors. Toshiba's Entangled Light Emitting Diode (ELED) is an easy-to-assemble device that can be connected to a battery to generate entangled light on an as-needed basis. Quantum computers based on optical processes require a large number of entangled photons, and producing entangled light has up to now been limited to bulky lasers. The ELED device employs standard semiconductor technology and is fashioned from gallium arsenide, a common material in optoelectronics. Although similar to conventional light-emitting diodes, the ELED contains a quantum dot that transforms electrical current into entangled light. "It's a big step because it means you can now start to integrate lots of devices on a single chip," says lead researcher Andrew Shields. He believes that basic quantum computing circuits that use ELED technology could be ready within five years.

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