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Quantum simulator reveals statistical localization that keeps most qubit states frozen

In the everyday world, governed by classical physics, the concept of equilibrium reigns. If you put a drop of ink into water, it will eventually evenly mix. If you put a glass of ice water on the kitchen table, it will eventually melt and become room temperature. That concept rooted in energy transport is known as thermalization, and it is easy to comprehend because we see it happen every day. But this is not always how things behave at the smallest scales of the universe.

In the quantum realm—at the atomic and sub-atomic scales—there can be a phenomenon called localization, in which equilibrium spreading does not occur, even with nothing obviously preventing it. Researchers at Duke University have observed this intriguing behavior using a quantum simulator for the first time. Also known as statistical localization, the research could help probe questions about unusual material properties or quantum memory.

The results appear in Nature Physics.

Simplifying quantum simulations—symmetry can cut computational effort by several orders of magnitude

Quantum computer research is advancing at a rapid pace. Today’s devices, however, still have significant limitations: For example, the length of a quantum computation is severely limited—that is, the number of possible interactions between quantum bits before a serious error occurs in the highly sensitive system. For this reason, it is important to keep computing operations as efficient and lean as possible.

Drawing on the example of a quantum simulation, physicists Guido Burkard and Joris Kattemölle from the University of Konstanz illustrate how harnessing symmetry dramatically lowers the computational effort needed: They use recurring patterns in the quantum systems to reduce the required computational effort by a factor of a thousand or more. The method has now been published in the journal Physical Review Letters.

Microscopic mirrors for future quantum networks: A new way to make high-performance optical resonators

Researchers in the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences have devised a new way to make some of the smallest, smoothest mirrors ever created for controlling single particles of light, known as photons. These mirrors could play key roles in future quantum computers, quantum networks, integrated lasers, environmental sensing equipment, and more.

A team from the labs of Marko Lončar, the Tiantsai Lin Professor of Electrical Engineering at SEAS; Mikhail Lukin, the Joshua and Beth Friedman University Professor in the Department of Physics; and Kiyoul Yang, assistant professor of electrical engineering at SEAS; have described their new method for making high-performance, curved optical mirrors in a study published in Optica.

Using two such mirrors to trap light between them, the team demonstrated state-of-the-art optical resonators that can control light at near-infrared wavelengths, which is important for manipulating single atoms in quantum computing applications.

Hackers target Microsoft Entra accounts in device code vishing attacks

Threat actors are targeting technology, manufacturing, and financial organizations in campaigns that combine device code phishing and voice phishing (vishing) to abuse the OAuth 2.0 Device Authorization flow and compromise Microsoft Entra accounts.

Unlike previous attacks that utilized malicious OAuth applications to compromise accounts, these campaigns instead leverage legitimate Microsoft OAuth client IDs and the device authorization flow to trick victims into authenticating.

This provides attackers with valid authentication tokens that can be used to access the victim’s account without relying on regular phishing sites that steal passwords or intercept multi-factor authentication codes.

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