Nanotechnology Now

Our NanoNews Digest Sponsors
Heifer International



Home > Press > Scientists turn to the quantum realm to improve energy transportation

Prof. Chikako Uchiyama (right), Dr. William J. Munro (center), Prof. Kae Nemoto (left) discussing quantum transport.

CREDIT
©NII
Prof. Chikako Uchiyama (right), Dr. William J. Munro (center), Prof. Kae Nemoto (left) discussing quantum transport. CREDIT ©NII

Abstract:
Ant-Man knows--the quantum realm holds shocking revelations and irrational solutions. Taking a page from the Marvel Universe, researchers based at the National Institute of Informatics (NII) in Tokyo, Japan, designed a more efficient quantum transport system by adding even more noise to it.

Scientists turn to the quantum realm to improve energy transportation

Tokyo, Japan | Posted on August 17th, 2018

They published their results on July 24 in Quantum Information, a Nature Partner Journal.

"Energy transport is at the core of natural life, as well as our current technology," said Kae Nemoto, a professor at the National Institute of Informatics and an author of the paper. "Many technological improvements have been achieved by better device-engineering to reduce the effects of noise and imperfections, which seems like a perfectly logical approach. We found--although nature already knew this--that energy transport can actually be enhanced by adding environmental noise."

Within quantum mechanics, energy behaves like a child in a mirror funhouse. The child's face stares back from a maze of reflective surfaces, and it's almost impossible for her to find the exit until she moves. As she moves, the faces move across the mirrors. Once she finds the exit, she moves through, and her reflection is gone from the mirrors.

The scientists examined how bacteria manage to efficiently harvest energy from light sources through photosynthesis. In photosynthesis, the energy moves throughout the cell all at once, looking for where it should go. Once it finds the spot, all of the other versions collapse in. The energy doesn't expend itself bouncing all over the cell--it splits the work.

However, this process cannot be exempted from environmental effects. Usually, environmental noise is considered as a negative factor. For example, interference from physically close neighbors tends to slow down the process significantly.

The researchers designed a computer simulation based on this process, but added a correlated noise to the path where energy is going through. Surprisingly, the energy transfer was significantly accelerated with anti-correlated noise.

"There is now clear evidence that noise can help in energy transport," Nemoto said. "This can be applied to more complex networks, and we are working on designing more realistic energy transport systems. If we can speed up energy transport, we must also be able to slow it down, too."

The researchers plan to continue studying exactly how noise influences the speed of energy transport with the goal of gaining control over the system to precisely fine tune its efficiency.

###

Study co-authors include Chikako Uchiyama, professor at the Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Research at the University of Yamanashi and a visiting professor at the National Institute of Informatics in Tokyo, Japan, and William Munro, the head of the Research Center for Theoretical Quantum Physics at NTT Basic Research Laboratories.

This work was funded in part by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, the John Templeton Foundation, and the Research Organization of Information and Systems (ROIS). NII is one of the four research institutions associated with the ROIS.

####

About Global Research Center for Quantum Information Science National Institute of Informatics
The Global Research Center for Quantum Information Science at the National Institute of Informatics brings together computer scientists, physicists, mathematicians and engineers to establish the foundations of quantum information science and technology while exploring the advantages a quantum world could provide. Our center provides the opportunity and environment for researchers from different backgrounds to collaborate effectively with each other. New researchers are always welcome to join these activities.

For more information, please click here

Contacts:
Kae Nemoto

Copyright © Global Research Center for Quantum Information Science National Institute of Informatics

If you have a comment, please Contact us.

Issuers of news releases, not 7th Wave, Inc. or Nanotechnology Now, are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.

Bookmark:
Delicious Digg Newsvine Google Yahoo Reddit Magnoliacom Furl Facebook

Related Links

http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41534-018-0079-x:

Related News Press

News and information

Researchers develop artificial building blocks of life March 8th, 2024

How surface roughness influences the adhesion of soft materials: Research team discovers universal mechanism that leads to adhesion hysteresis in soft materials March 8th, 2024

Two-dimensional bimetallic selenium-containing metal-organic frameworks and their calcinated derivatives as electrocatalysts for overall water splitting March 8th, 2024

Curcumin nanoemulsion is tested for treatment of intestinal inflammation: A formulation developed by Brazilian researchers proved effective in tests involving mice March 8th, 2024

Govt.-Legislation/Regulation/Funding/Policy

What heat can tell us about battery chemistry: using the Peltier effect to study lithium-ion cells March 8th, 2024

Researchers’ approach may protect quantum computers from attacks March 8th, 2024

The Access to Advanced Health Institute receives up to $12.7 million to develop novel nanoalum adjuvant formulation for better protection against tuberculosis and pandemic influenza March 8th, 2024

Optically trapped quantum droplets of light can bind together to form macroscopic complexes March 8th, 2024

Possible Futures

Two-dimensional bimetallic selenium-containing metal-organic frameworks and their calcinated derivatives as electrocatalysts for overall water splitting March 8th, 2024

Curcumin nanoemulsion is tested for treatment of intestinal inflammation: A formulation developed by Brazilian researchers proved effective in tests involving mice March 8th, 2024

The Access to Advanced Health Institute receives up to $12.7 million to develop novel nanoalum adjuvant formulation for better protection against tuberculosis and pandemic influenza March 8th, 2024

Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024

Discoveries

What heat can tell us about battery chemistry: using the Peltier effect to study lithium-ion cells March 8th, 2024

Researchers’ approach may protect quantum computers from attacks March 8th, 2024

High-tech 'paint' could spare patients repeated surgeries March 8th, 2024

Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024

Announcements

What heat can tell us about battery chemistry: using the Peltier effect to study lithium-ion cells March 8th, 2024

Curcumin nanoemulsion is tested for treatment of intestinal inflammation: A formulation developed by Brazilian researchers proved effective in tests involving mice March 8th, 2024

The Access to Advanced Health Institute receives up to $12.7 million to develop novel nanoalum adjuvant formulation for better protection against tuberculosis and pandemic influenza March 8th, 2024

Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024

Interviews/Book Reviews/Essays/Reports/Podcasts/Journals/White papers/Posters

Researchers develop artificial building blocks of life March 8th, 2024

How surface roughness influences the adhesion of soft materials: Research team discovers universal mechanism that leads to adhesion hysteresis in soft materials March 8th, 2024

Curcumin nanoemulsion is tested for treatment of intestinal inflammation: A formulation developed by Brazilian researchers proved effective in tests involving mice March 8th, 2024

Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024

Energy

Development of zinc oxide nanopagoda array photoelectrode: photoelectrochemical water-splitting hydrogen production January 12th, 2024

Shedding light on unique conduction mechanisms in a new type of perovskite oxide November 17th, 2023

Inverted perovskite solar cell breaks 25% efficiency record: Researchers improve cell efficiency using a combination of molecules to address different November 17th, 2023

The efficient perovskite cells with a structured anti-reflective layer – another step towards commercialization on a wider scale October 6th, 2023

Grants/Sponsored Research/Awards/Scholarships/Gifts/Contests/Honors/Records

Discovery of new Li ion conductor unlocks new direction for sustainable batteries: University of Liverpool researchers have discovered a new solid material that rapidly conducts lithium ions February 16th, 2024

$900,000 awarded to optimize graphene energy harvesting devices: The WoodNext Foundation's commitment to U of A physicist Paul Thibado will be used to develop sensor systems compatible with six different power sources January 12th, 2024

Catalytic combo converts CO2 to solid carbon nanofibers: Tandem electrocatalytic-thermocatalytic conversion could help offset emissions of potent greenhouse gas by locking carbon away in a useful material January 12th, 2024

'Sudden death' of quantum fluctuations defies current theories of superconductivity: Study challenges the conventional wisdom of superconducting quantum transitions January 12th, 2024

NanoNews-Digest
The latest news from around the world, FREE




  Premium Products
NanoNews-Custom
Only the news you want to read!
 Learn More
NanoStrategies
Full-service, expert consulting
 Learn More











ASP
Nanotechnology Now Featured Books




NNN

The Hunger Project