Researchers at UC Santa Barbara have recently reached what they are calling a milestone in experimental quantum mechanics. Using a superconducting electronic circuit the researchers were able to controllably pump microwave photons, one at a time, into a superconducting microwave resonator. Up to six photons were pumped into and stored in the resonator, and their presence was then detected therefor creating and detecting their photon number states. The breakthrough is that the researchers where able to create and detect the photon number states (Fock states) which has never been done before. What does this mean? Quantum computers are one step closer to reality. "Harmonic oscillators might allow us to get a quantum computer built more quickly," researcher Cleland said.
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