This is from some research papers which are widely available.
"The first big breakthrough for scientists building actual quantum computers came in the mid-'90s, when they discovered how to carry out calculations using the techniques of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The key idea was that a single molecule can act like a tiny computer. Information is stored in the orientation of nuclear spins in the molecule, each nucleus holding one qubit. And the interaction between the nuclear spins, known as spin-spin coupling, serves to mediate logic operations. In a strong magnetic field, these nuclei precess around the direction of the magnetic field at frequencies that depend on their chemical environment.
For instance, in a 9.3-tesla field, a carbon-13 nucleus in a chloroform molecule precesses at about 100 MHz. By zapping the molecule with radio waves tuned to these resonant frequencies, it is possible to manipulate each nucleus individually to carry out logic operations. The manipulation might involve flipping a nucleus from a 1 to a 0, a so-called one-qubit operation or single-bit rotation; or it might involve two linked nuclei in a two-qubit operation, in which the value of one nucleus is flipped in a way that depends on the value of the other.
Chloroform made with the carbon-13 isotope is a good example of a molecule that can act as a two-qubit quantum computer, because its hydrogen and carbon-13 nuclei can be addressed individually by the radio waves. A quantum calculation is then carried out by encoding a program--a sequence of one- and two-qubit operations--as a series of RF pulses. The results are then read out by listening for the magnetic induction signal generated by the precessing nuclei at the end of the calculation. That signal indicates the orientation of the nuclear spin.
Nuclear magnetic resonance sounds like the dream solution to a thorny problem. Nuclei are naturally isolated from the noise of the outside world and so can maintain coherence for many seconds, enough time to perform hundreds of logic operations. In addition, NMR is a mature technology, having been used over many years for imaging and chemical analysis.
But the technique has some severe limitations. Single molecules do not produce a signal strong enough to be observed. Instead, NMR experiments must involve huge numbers of molecules (of the order of 10-23rd) so that their combined magnetic induction signal is large enough to be picked up. (These molecules are usually distributed in a solvent, so the first quantum computers actually have liquid hearts.)" |
