18-11-2009, 07:56 PM
"universal" programmable quantum information processor able to run any program allowed by quantum mechanicsâ€the rules governing the submicroscopic worldâ€using two quantum bits (qubits) of information. The processor could be a module in a future quantum computer, which theoretically could solve some important problems that are intractable today.processor stores binary information (1s and 0s) in two beryllium ions (electrically charged atoms), which are held in an electromagnetic trap and manipulated with ultraviolet lasers. Two magnesium ions in the trap help cool the beryllium ions