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Related Concept Videos

Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Spin State Overview01:03

Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Spin State Overview

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NMR-active nuclei have energy levels called 'spin states' that are associated with the orientations of their nuclear magnetic moments. In the absence of a magnetic field, the nuclear magnetic moments are randomly oriented, and the spin states are degenerate. When an external magnetic field is applied, the spin states have only 2 + 1 orientations available to them. A proton with = ½ has two available orientations. Similarly, for a quadrupolar nucleus with a nuclear spin value of one, the...
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Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Spin01:08

Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Spin

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All atomic particles possess an intrinsic angular momentum, or 'spin'. Electrons, protons, and neutrons each have a spin value of ½, although protons and neutrons in nuclei may have higher half-integer spins owing to energetic factors.
Atomic nuclei have a net nuclear spin, , which can have an integer or half-integer value. In atomic nuclei, the spins of protons are paired against each other but not with neutrons, and vice versa. Consequently, an even number of protons does not contribute...
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Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Spin State Population Distribution01:14

Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Spin State Population Distribution

2.6K
Near absolute zero temperatures, in the presence of a magnetic field, the majority of nuclei prefer the lower energy spin-up state to the higher energy spin-down state. As temperatures increase, the energy from thermal collisions distributes the spins more equally between the two states. The Boltzmann distribution equation gives the ratio of the number of spins predicted in the spin −½ (N−) and spin +½ (N+) states.
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Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Relaxation Processes01:23

Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Relaxation Processes

1.4K
In the absence of an external magnetic field, nuclear spin states are degenerate and randomly oriented. When a magnetic field is applied, the spins begin to precess and orient themselves along (lower energy) or against (higher energy) the direction of the field. At equilibrium, a slight excess population of spins exists in the lower energy state. Because the direction of the magnetic field is fixed as the z-axis,  the precessing magnetic moments are randomly oriented around the z-axis.
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Atomic Nuclei: Magnetic Resonance01:05

Atomic Nuclei: Magnetic Resonance

1.4K
The number of nuclear spins aligned in the lower energy state is slightly greater than those in the higher energy state. In the presence of an external magnetic field, as the spins precess at the Larmor frequency, the excess population results in a net magnetization oriented along the z axis. When a pulse or a short burst of radio waves at the Larmor frequency is applied along the x axis, the coupling of frequencies causes resonance and flips the nuclear spins of the excess population from the...
1.4K
Atomic Nuclei: Types of Nuclear Relaxation01:28

Atomic Nuclei: Types of Nuclear Relaxation

1.2K
Nuclear relaxation restores the equilibrium population imbalance and can occur via spin–lattice or spin–spin mechanisms, which are first-order exponential decay processes.
In spin–lattice or longitudinal relaxation, the excited spins exchange energy with the surrounding lattice as they return to the lower energy level. Among several mechanisms that contribute to spin–lattice relaxation, magnetic dipolar interactions are significant. Here, the excited nucleus transfers...
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Gradient Echo Quantum Memory in Warm Atomic Vapor
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Optically addressable nuclear spins in a solid with a six-hour coherence time.

Manjin Zhong1, Morgan P Hedges2, Rose L Ahlefeldt3

  • 1Centre for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology, Laser Physics Centre, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 0200, Australia.

Nature
|January 9, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers developed a new quantum memory using europium-doped yttrium orthosilicate. This system demonstrates exceptionally long coherence times, paving the way for robust quantum repeaters and global quantum communication networks.

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Area of Science:

  • Quantum Information Science
  • Quantum Communication
  • Quantum Mechanics

Background:

  • Entangled quantum states are crucial for quantum mechanics research and quantum communication.
  • Optical methods are common for distributing entanglement, but face range limitations due to signal loss.
  • Quantum repeaters, using quantum memories, are proposed to overcome these range limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the decoherence rate of a novel quantum memory system.
  • To assess the suitability of this system for long-duration quantum information storage.
  • To explore its potential for enabling global-scale quantum communication.

Main Methods:

  • Measurements were conducted on the ground-state hyperfine transition of europium ion dopants in yttrium orthosilicate ((151)Eu(3+):Y2SiO5).
  • Optically detected nuclear magnetic resonance techniques were employed to determine decoherence rates.
  • Dynamic decoupling methods were used to extend the coherence time.

Main Results:

  • A decoherence rate of 8 × 10⁻⁵ per second was measured over 100 milliseconds.
  • This rate is significantly lower than other systems suitable for optical quantum memories.
  • A coherence time of 370 ± 60 minutes was achieved at 2 Kelvin using dynamic decoupling.

Conclusions:

  • The (151)Eu(3+):Y2SiO5 system exhibits unprecedentedly long coherence times for quantum memory applications.
  • The achieved coherence time surpasses the requirements for global-scale quantum communication via quantum repeaters.
  • This breakthrough suggests that transporting nuclear spins within crystals could be a viable alternative to optical fiber for long-distance quantum information transfer.