QMHP: Decoherence and Entanglement Decay in Nanosystems and Applications to Quantum Information Systems

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AbstractProposal Number: ECCS-0757204Proposal Title: QMHP: Decoherence and Entanglement Decay in Nanosystems and Applications to Quantum Information SystemsPI Name: O'Connell, Robert F. PI Institution: Louisiana State University & Agricultural and Mechanical College The objective of the research is to investigate fundamental questions in quantum mechanics of relevance to nanotechnology and how best it may be applied to the design of nanodevices and systems pertaining to quantum information systems, such as quantum computation, teleportation and cryptography. The approach will first concentrate on superconducting Josephson circuits, which are of particular interest because integrated-circuit fabrication technology makes them a desirable choice for the scalability necessary for constructing working devices.The intellectual merit of the proposed activity is that it will have a broad impact on theoretical physics, especially the quantum world. The focus is on entanglement, not only because it is the characteristic trait of quantum mechanics, but also because quantum bits (qubits) must be entangled in order to construct scalable quantum devices. Entanglement manifests itself in the existence of correlations between parts of a quantum system which are spatially separated (in essence, non-locality or what Einstein referred to as ? . . . spooky action at a distance . . .?).Turning to the broader aspects of the research, the incorporation of quantum devices into the world of integrated circuits, computers and communication devices is expected to have a major impact on computing power, communication capacity and cryptography. Also, the challenges underlying this work should attract students and lead to a renewed interest in science and engineering. Moreover, it will lead to increasing U.S.competiveness in the manufacture of such devices, with its attendant social and economic implications.