A new study conducted by Bengaluru-based scientists has thrown fresh Light on how a charged particle in contact with an Environment in the presence of a behaves when it is subjected to ultra-cold temperatures.
Scientists involved in the study have said that the latest findings could deepen existing knowledge and explore ways to control noise in the domain of quantum technology.
Quantum technology is too vulnerable to disturbances in the environment that corrupt the information stored in quantum computers, thus understanding the role of noise in quantum technology and finding ways to control it has long been a challenge for scientists.
Brownian motion, the random motion of particles when suspended in a fluid, forms one of the foundational pillars of physics, thanks to Albert Einstein’s seminal work in this area. Quantum Brownian motion is a class of possible dynamics for an open quantum, continuous degree of freedom.
The study makes predictions about the nature of decay of factors called the position correlation function, the position-velocity correlation function, and the velocity autocorrelation function in the quantum domain accessible via ultra-cold atom experiments. The predictions can be tested by considering a charged particle in a magnetic field at ultra-cold temperatures (of the order of a few nano Kelvin) in an optical molasses which mimics a viscous environment.