Description

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Picture Courtesy: THE HINDU

Context:

A team from the Raman Research Institute (RRI) found a new code for detecting hidden properties of exotic materials.

News in Detail

Scientists at the Raman Research Institute (RRI) developed a revolutionary method to spot topological invariants in quantum materials, which are crucial for next-generation technologies including quantum computing, fault-tolerant electronics, and energy-efficient systems.

The Raman Research Institute (RRI) is an institute for scientific research located in Bengaluru. It was founded by Nobel laureate Sir C. V. Raman in 1948. Although it began as an institute privately owned by C. V. Raman. It became an autonomous institute in 1972, receiving funds from the Department of Science and Technology.

What are Topological Materials?

Topological materials represent a revolutionary class of quantum materials where electrons behave according to the "shape" or topology of the material at the quantum level.

These materials are characterized by:

Topological Invariants: Mathematical properties that remain unchanged under continuous deformations
Winding Numbers (1D systems): Describe how quantum states wrap around in momentum space
Chern Numbers (2D systems): Topological charges that characterize quantum Hall effects
Protected Edge States: Robust conducting states at material boundaries

"Topological invariance implies that if you can deform one shape into another without cutting or gluing, any topological invariant will be the same for both shapes" - Department of Science and Technology

Technological Implications & Applications

Quantum Computing => Enhanced ability to identify and characterize materials for quantum computers, potentially leading to more stable qubits and fault-tolerant quantum systems.

Next-Gen Electronics => Development of fault-tolerant electronic devices with improved reliability and performance based on topological protection mechanisms.

Energy Efficiency => Creation of energy-efficient systems that leverage the unique properties of topological materials for reduced power consumption.

Materials Discovery => Universal tool for exploring and classifying new topological materials, accelerating the discovery process in condensed matter physics.

Source:

THE HINDU

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q. What makes qubits fundamentally different from classical bits in computing?

A) Qubits process data sequentially.

B) Qubits can represent both 0 and 1 simultaneously.

C) Qubits require less energy.

D) Qubits operate at higher temperatures.

Answer: B

Explanation:

The fundamental difference between qubits and classical bits is that qubits can represent both 0 and 1 simultaneously, due to the quantum property of superposition.