If you put ultracold molecules into different quantum states, you can load optical tweezers much more efficiently. According to researchers in Nijmegen, this brings the quantum computer a step closer.

In order to better understand complex matter and problems, researchers do not only want to use models, but also seek quantitative solutions with mathematics. You can do a lot on supercomputers, but at some point you reach the limits of their computing power. ‘Many complex problems in physics are based on quantum mechanics’, says Etienne Walraven, a PhD student at Radboud University Nijmegen. ‘So it would be a logical step to use quantum computers for such problems, since they are based on the same principles.’