For the first time one was obtained Synthetic molecule It is a perfect double of the natural number. In fact, it behaves in exactly the same way, even if it is ten times larger in order to facilitate a detailed study of its properties. The conclusions of this study published in the journal SciencesIt was obtained thanks to a quantum simulator and belongs to a group of Dutch people Radboud University. The molecule the researchers chose to replicate is benzenethe natural component of petroleum, which opens the way, in the future, for hitherto unimaginable applications: from new materials for next-generation computers to the possibility of miniaturizing electronic devices on a single-molecule basis.
“We wanted to create synthetic molecules that look like natural moleculeshe comments Emil Cerdalead the study. “So we developed a system that allows us to trap electrons (the basic components of atoms along with protons and neutrons): electrons – Cerda explains – surround a molecule like a cloud, and so we used those trapped electrons to build Synthetic molecule. The resemblance to the natural is disturbing“.
Create a synthetic molecule that looks like a natural molecule
the Quantum simulatorsThese devices, like those used in the study, are special devices designed to provide information about specific physical problems. This technique has already been exploited in several experiments, which include Quantum gases are very cold, superconducting circuits, and also the so-called time crystals – a new type of matter that periodically repeats itself in time, just like an ordinary three-dimensional crystal that periodically repeats itself in space. Quantum simulators provide an alternative to classical computers, even supercomputers, for understanding the properties of complex systems: in fact, they allow very precise control and the possibility of freely changing system parameters.
“Making molecules is difficult, and even more so is understanding how they interact, such as how they change when deformed or changed“, He says Alex KhagturiansCo-author of the study. “We wanted to simulate the molecules, so we could modify them in ways that are almost impossible with natural molecules. like – he adds Khagturians – We can say something about natural molecules without having to deal with the challenges they present, such as their ever-changing shapeAccording to the researchers involved, the possible applications of this technology are vast.
Potential use of quantum simulation
For example, using a file Quantum simulation It is possible to understand molecules and their interactions much better, which will help in many areas of research. Moreover, new materials can be simulated for future computers, and their properties evaluated before moving on to actual realization.
In the distant future, it may also become possible to study chemical reactions step by step as in a slow-motion video, or to create artificial electronic devices based on a single molecule, allowing, for example, to reduce transistor dimensions to those of a computer chip.
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