Silicon chip quantum computing short listed for 2007 Australian Museum Eureka Prize
Media Release, Wednesday 1 August 2007
Research by scientists at the University of Melbourne and the University of New South Wales, to develop quantum computers of the future, has been short listed for the Scientific Research category of 2007 Australian Museum Eureka prizes, announced last week.
Professors David Jamieson of the School of Physics at the University of Melbourne and Professor Andrew Dzurak of the University of New South Wales have come together within the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computer Technology to conduct the research.
The Australian Museum Eureka Prizes are Australia’s premier award scheme for outstanding science. Presented annually the prizes reward excellence in the fields of research & innovation, science leadership, school science and science journalism & communication.
“Advanced silicon chip technology may be the way of the future for making revolutionary quantum computing a reality,” said Professor Jamieson of the University of Melbourne.
“Scientists today face a real challenge to build a quantum computer to solve problems that are difficult or impossible on ordinary computers.
“The key is to develop technology that allows the strange laws of quantum mechanics to be exploited to process information in new and highly efficient ways. This needs technology to build devices that use single atoms to encode information,” Professor Jamieson said.
The research team is undertaking a novel approach of ion implantation that can build devices from single atoms implanted into advanced silicon chips that are sensitive to ion impacts and self assemble themselves.
“We are not only developing the theoretical models but are one of the few research teams in the world attempting to create a quantum computing silicon chip,” he said.
“We are taking advantage of the all the technology used to make Pentium computer chips which can be adapted to produce small enough chips required for quantum computers.”
The team is internationally recognized as leaders in the field of quantum computer silicon chip technology. The work of Professors Dzurak and Jamieson has led to more than 16 joint publications in the international literature since 2002 with a total of more than 70 publications arising from work in the teams in their combined laboratories.
Winners for the Eureka Prize will be announced at the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes Award Dinner on 21 August.
For more information contact
Professor David Jamieson
School of Physics
University of Melbourne
Phone: (03) 8344 5376
Email: d.jamieson@unimelb.edu.au
Rebecca Scott
Media Officer
University of Melbourne
Mobile: 0417 164 791
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