• Chromium sulfide bromide allows quantum information storage in a single dimension due to magnetic switching.
• Excitons in chromium sulfide bromide can be confined to a single dimension, reducing decoherence and improving quantum information storage.
• Switching between magnetized and non-magnetized states could enable conversion of photon and spin-based quantum information.

Scientists have discovered that the quantum material chromium sulfide bromide can store quantum information in a single dimension. This capability is attributed to the material's magnetic switching property, where the magnetic polarization switches direction. At temperatures below 132 Kelvin, the material's layers are magnetized with alternating magnetic field directions. When only a single atom thick, excitons, which carry the quantum information, are confined to a single dimension, reducing the likelihood of collisions and decoherence, thus preserving quantum information longer. This finding has potential implications for developing more stable quantum computing and sensing technologies.

• What: Discovery of magnetic switching in chromium sulfide bromide, allowing for quantum information storage in a single dimension. The material's layered structure and magnetic properties trap quantum information carriers (excitons) in one dimension.
• Who: Rupert Huber (University of Regensburg, Germany), Mackillo Kra (University of Michigan), and other scientists involved in the study published in Nature Materials.
• When: Study published on February 19 in Nature Materials; research conducted recently.
• Where: Research conducted at the University of Regensburg (Germany) and the University of Michigan, among other locations.

The discovery that chromium sulfide bromide can store quantum information in a single dimension because of magnetic switching is significant for quantum computing and sensing technologies. The ability to confine excitons to a single dimension reduces decoherence, a major obstacle in maintaining quantum information. The study highlights the potential for using chromium sulfide bromide's various properties (electric charge, photons, magnetism, phonons) for future quantum devices. Further research into converting excitons to magnetic excitations could provide a method for converting quantum information between different subatomic particles.

The magnetic order is a new tuning knob for shaping excitons and their interactions. This could be a game changer for future electronics and information technology.

The long-term vision is, you could potentially build quantum machines or devices that use these three or even all four of these properties: photons to transfer information, electrons to process information through their interactions, magnetism to store information, and phonons to modulate and transduce information to new frequencies.

The discovery of magnetic switching in chromium sulfide bromide, enabling single-dimension quantum information storage, represents a significant advancement in quantum materials research. The ability to control and confine excitons in this material opens up possibilities for more stable and efficient quantum computing and sensing devices. Ongoing research is focused on exploiting all the material's properties, including photons, electrons, magnetism, and phonons, to create advanced quantum machines. The current status is promising, with further studies needed to realize the full potential of chromium sulfide bromide in future technologies.