Nanoscale MRI possible with quantum computing
Quantum computing — considered the powerhouse of computational tasks — may have applications in areas outside of pure electronics, according to Gurudev Dutt, a University of Pittsburgh researcher, and his collaborators. A paper published online today documents important progress toward realizing a nanoscale magnetic imager utilizing quantum computing. “Think of this like a typical medical procedure — a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) — but on single molecules or groups of molecules inside cells instead of the entire body. Traditional MRI techniques don’t work well with such small volumes, so an instrument must be built to accommodate such high-precision work,” says Dutt. The researchers used quantum computing methods to circumvent current imaging hardware limitations and expand the detectable magnetic field. This puts them one step closer toward a future nanoscale MRI instrument that could study properties of molecules and cells in a noninvasive way.