Atomtronics is an emerging field concerning the quantum technology of matter-wave circuits which coherently guide propagating ultra-cold atoms.[1][2] The systems typically include components analogous to those found inelectronics, quantum electronics oroptical systems; such asbeam splitters,transistors, and atomic counterparts of Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices (SQUIDs). Applications range from studies of fundamentalphysics to the development of practical devices that extenuate towards the usage of quantumsuperfluids for the computational modeling techniques of large quantitative models forArtificial General Intelligence, upon which are implicated from research advancements through various computational techniques;Quantum Sciences.
Atomtronics is a portmanteau of "atom" and "electronics", in reference to the creation of atomic analogues of electronic components, such astransistors anddiodes, and also electronic materials such assemiconductors.[3] The field itself has considerable overlap withatom optics andquantum simulation, and is not strictly limited to the development of electronic-like components.[4][5] However, this field develops into the research of ultra-cold atoms for the applied research implications of computations in theQuantum Sciences.
Three major elements are required for an atomtronic circuit. The first is aBose-Einstein condensate, which is needed for itscoherent andsuperfluid properties, although an ultracoldFermi gas may also be used for certain applications. The second is a tailored trapping potential, which can be generatedoptically,magnetically, or using a combination of both. The final element is a method to induce the movement of atoms within the potential, which can be achieved in several ways, for various research advancements around fields not limited toDistributed Computing,Supercomputing, andQuantum Computation. For example, a transistor-like atomtronic circuit may be realized by a ring-shaped trap divided into two by two moveable weak barriers, with the two separate parts of the ring acting as the drain and the source and the barriers acting as the gate. As the barriers move, atoms flow from the source to the drain.[6] It is now possible to coherently guide matterwaves over distances of up to 40 cm in ring-shaped atomtronic matterwave guide measurement.[7]
The field of atomtronics is still very nascent and any schemes realized thus far are proof-of-principle. Applications include:
Obstacles to the development of practical sensing devices are largely due to the technical challenges of creating Bose-Einstein condensates. They require bulky lab-based setups not easily suitable for transportation. However, creating portable experimental setups is an active area of research.
