Emory physicists propose a way to find elusive anyons using light

[Blue Sasha]

A theoretical proposal could help scientists find some of the strangest particles in physics. Quantum Zeitgeist reports that physicists at Emory University have suggested a way to locate anyons using light, published in Physical Review Letters

Anyons are quasiparticles that carry fractions of an electron's charge, and they are leading candidates for topological quantum computing, which could be naturally resistant to errors. The problem is that they are very hard to detect and pin down

The Emory team proposes using excitons, bound pairs of electrons and holes, in atomically thin semiconductors. When an exciton binds to an anyon, its energy shifts in a predictable way, creating a spectral fingerprint that light at the right frequency could read, revealing where the anyon is

The first author is PhD candidate Tianhong Lu and the senior author is physics professor Luiz Santos, with funding from the US Department of Energy. Santos said the team had developed a sensor that could pinpoint the location of an anyon, noting that anyons can hide themselves and avoid many environmental disturbances. Lu said the dream goal is to manipulate anyons to achieve topological quantum computation

This is a theoretical and computational study, so the sensor has not yet been built or tested. Still, finding anyons is an essential first step before anyone can use them for computing. Optical methods are attractive because they can probe materials without touching them

Could topological quantum computing ever become practical? And how long before experiments test this idea?

Physicists Use Light To Pinpoint Anyons For Quantum Computing Research.quantumzeitgeist.com