In a groundbreaking new experiment, researchers at UC Berkeley have discovered the phenomenon of quantum avalanches in a many-body localized system. This is the first time that such avalanches have been directly observed in a quantum system. The findings, published in the journal Nature, could have implications for quantum computing and the development of new materials.

In this experiment, the researchers created a chain of four nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond. The centers were all connected together by an external laser, which allowed the researchers to observe quantum effects in the system. When the researchers increased the power of the laser, they observed a cascade of energy exchanges amongst the centers, resulting in a “quantum avalanche”. The avalanche was able to move from one center to the next, showing that the system was many-body localized.

This discovery is significant because it suggests that quantum systems can remain localized even at high energies, and could potentially lead to new materials that could be used for quantum computing. The researchers plan to continue their work to better understand the behavior of these avalanches, and to see if they can find ways to control them.

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source: Phys.org