The quantum mirage phenomenon suggests data can be transferred wirelessly. IBM scientists used a scanning tunneling microscope to demonstrate this by creating an ellipse of cobalt atoms on a copper crystal. Moving the cobalt atom to one of the focal points of the ellipse created a wave through the electrons contained in the cobalt necklace to the other focal point, despite there being no atom. Quantum mirage could be used in atomic-scale circuits, but the process is time-consuming and energy-intensive.
Today, MP3 players smaller than a book of matches can hold two gigabytes of information, enough space for about 500 songs. When it comes to the capacity, power, speed and energy efficiency that can be packed into a mobile phone or laptop, a phenomenon called the quantum mirage portends that the surface may have only been scratched so far. In essence, quantum mirage is a phenomenon that suggests that data can be transferred without conventional wires.
In 1993, IBM scientists discovered the concept of quantum mirage. This discovery can be considered a turning point in the history of nanotechnology, even as integrated circuits approach the limit of miniaturization. How advanced this technology has become depends on something invented in the 19th century: cables. Eventually, the wires become too small for the efficient flow of electrons and the connection breaks down.
These IBM scientists believe that quantum mirage can lead to the creation of atomic-scale circuits. Instead of flowing through wires, the information in this atomic circuit rides a wave in a sea of electrons.
A team at IBM, led by Don Eigler, has set up an experiment to demonstrate quantum mirage in action. Using a scanning tunneling microscope, they assembled an ellipse with a diameter 5,000 times smaller than that of a human hair. The ellipse was formed by a necklace of 36 cobalt atoms on the surface of a copper crystal cooled to four degrees above absolute zero.
They used an ellipse because, as a geometric shape, it has so-called focal points at each end of its long axis. If you draw a line from one AF point to any point on the ellipse, then to the opposite AF point, the distance will always be the same.
They used copper because it is non-magnetic and cobalt atoms are magnetic. They put the copper in a freezer because when it’s that cold, the electrons in the copper produce a resonance called the Kondo effect when a cobalt atom comes into contact with them. The Kondo effect is the notion that electrical resistance diverges when the temperature is near 0 Kelvin.
The ellipse of cobalt atoms formed an electron-containing enclosure from the copper crystal. As expected, when the IBM scientists used the scanning tunneling microscope to place an atom inside the ellipse, they saw the Kondo effect. But, when they moved the cobalt atom to one of the focal points of the ellipse, the Kondo effect appeared at the other focal point.
Essentially, the resonance created by the magnetic cobalt atom interacting with the non-magnetic copper electrons drove a wave through the electrons contained in the cobalt necklace to the other focal point. All this despite the fact that there was not an atom. Scientists dubbed this effect quantum mirage.
IBM scientists theorize that quantum mirage can be used in ways similar to focusing light with lenses or sound with parabolic reflectors. But technology has a long way to go. Putting together a necklace of atoms with a scanning tunneling microscope takes a lot of time and energy. But if the process can be sped up and perfected, imagine, one day people might be able to store 10,000 songs inside a tiny MP3 player implanted in their inner ear. Why not? With phenomena like quantum mirage existing in the universe, anything is possible.
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