The next generation of super computers will be quantum computers which work on qubits. This would replace the current method of using 0s and 1s in the conventional machines. However the scientists who have been working on this  science project have not yet been able to solve the problem of storage of information in quantum computers.

Physicists at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands have been using carbon nano tubes, which are very small hollow tubes made out of carbon, to aid them in developing this new type of storage. They are attempting to measure, control and store these qubits in the carbon nano tubes.

In order to do so, they used a carbon nano tube that was shaped as a ‘U’ and added two electrons on its surface. The spin of an electron is a type of qubit and they hoped to be able to study its behavior in the carbon nano tube. They generated positive and negative electronic fields into which the nano tube was placed and the behavior of the electrons was observed.

Moving the elctron from one spin state to the next was the equivalent of 0s and 1s in the conventional machines. This is an exciting development and may help the science project researchers in building the next generation of storage device for the super computers of the future.