They create a quantum switch

They have created a material capable of controlling quantum information as if it were a simple light switch. This is already possible with chromium sulfide bromide, an exotic compound that is attracting the attention of the scientific community. A new study reveals that by varying the temperature it is possible to activate or deactivate its magnetic order, which directly affects the behavior of extons, fundamental electronic pairs for light, energy and quantum computing technologies. This magnetic control of extons opens doors for a new type of computing and quantum data transfer where photons, electron spins and sound vibrations can be used together, chromium sulfide bromide is the only known material that can encode information simultaneously in light, electricity, vibrations and magnetism. The study used ultra-short laser pulses lasting 24 millionths of a second to create and manipulate extons within this material. The scientists observed that the extons not only emerged in different states, but also behaved differently depending on the direction in the material, revealing highly sensitive interactions with the local magnetic state.

The key to the experiment was to observe how temperature affects the magnetic state of chromium sulfide bromide. At low temperatures the material enters an antiferromagnetic state, where the spins of the electrons align in opposite directions in the layers. This mechanism behaves like a quantum switch, controlling the movement of information within the material with very high precision. Although it is not directly linked to AI, this technology can be fundamental for the development of quantum hardware, where different types of particles and states, photons, exetons, and spins, can communicate and exchange data, something essential for the construction of quantum AI systems of the future. The ability to use different physical properties as a basis for data storage, processing and transmission can create a new generation of hybrid quantum devices, much more versatile and powerful than current ones. Chromium sulfide bromide is not only an exotic material but may be the basis of a quantum revolution with a natural magnetic switch that allows control of how and where quantum information flows.