Credit: Visual Capitalist
Is understanding the three known types of quantum computing crucial to your understanding your thesis? If not, this is a lot of information to offer up. Can this be replaced with either a more succinct graphic, or maybe a brief synopsis of the relevant points? Is it necessary at all?
the device
Which device are we talking about? Readers will often skip over the caption of a photo, so it's important to explain what the Carbo-silicate cell device is in the body of the text.
Quantum DecoherenceSo think about how a car is a continuously depreciating asset. It basically means that the more we use it, the less value it has. Well, quantum bits are the exact same way. Quantum decoherence essentially states the same thing for the qubit quantum system, where the more a bias collapses it into a classical value, the shorter its quantum lifetime. Eventually, the qubit will collapse into a normal bit spontaneously, including during computation, causing large margins of error, and a lack of information or proper measuring capabilities.
I like this explanation of quantum decoherence even more than the first one. Also, this one quick change will make the first section on qubits obselete:
... "quantum bits (qubits) are the exact same way. Quantum decoherence essentially states the same thing for the qubit quantum system..."
With this simple change, you've introduced me to what a qubit is, and primed me to understand it in the next sentence. This paragraph also teaches me that a qubit is distinct from a normal bit in important ways.
Now we can talk about
This doesn't feel necessary, but if you want to break up the technical jargon with some informal elements, just make sure they're formatted differently than section headers, otherwise it's a bit of a visual speedbump.
If you want to break up the formatting to increase readability, take a look at how Tony Liu uses blockquotes.
Photovoltaic EffectLet’s just quickly discuss the photovoltaic effect:
Quick tip on making numbered lists super readable: make each number flow as though you could read each one as an extension of the sentence prior. For example:
Photovoltaic Effect Explained
The Photovoltaic Effect: 1. Occurs within semiconductors, materials that can... 2. Describes the over-generation of electrical potential... 3. Is related closely to the photoelectric effect, which...
You want each list item to reference the subject of the list. Here, 2 refers back to 1, and 4 is a standalone point. Keep the info, just consolidate and make it relevant to the subject.
Thanks for reading! Until next time!! 😃
Great work Okezue! I'm excited to read part 2!
The information you need is all here, and is really fascinating, but you have a lot of opportunities to consolidate this into a much shorter, clearer article.
If you don't have access to something like Grammarly, I would suggest copying the body of this into a Google Doc or Word doc and run it through a spell-checker. [Looks like this was done in 2020, pre-ChatGPT, which I would suggest as a grammar and syntax editor today].
At a higher-level, when you're doing your final edits of this, keep these questions in mind: "Who is my audience, and am I writing for their technical level?" "Can I say this in fewer words, and have I already said it?" "Does the information flow smoothly, in a structured way?" "Is this serving my article? E.g. graphics, statements, interjections."
Circle back one last time to the Tony Liu article and notice how the structure of each section has a logical through-line that feels natural as a reader; each section serves the next section, which serves the next section, and so on, and ends in a neat conclusion.
Looking forward to discussing more!
Crazy, right?
This is true, but not serving you. While I like that you're staying consistent with your conversational tone of voice here, I can't respond as a reader; I want you, the author, to explain to me why this is crazy, and why I should think it is with your explanation.
In short, show me it's crazy without telling me it's crazy.
Hot Qubits 🥵 vs Cold Qubits 🥶Very quickly, we must understand the hot qubit vs cold qubit methods.Cold qubits are the typical ones quantum computers use — 0.15 miliKelvin, minimization of any thermal fluxHot qubits (which are still cold; but hot for quantum) are a new method — 1.5 miliKelvin, which use of silicon for quantum chips decreases cost and time, as well as:Interoperability with conventional computer chipsCheaper production and less cooling systems needed
As in the earlier section on "Hardware Brushups", is this section serving the reader? Cold qubits are never mentioned again after this section, and hot qubits only once in passing.
In a study, researchers were able to create a silicon-based materials
It's good form to make sure you link to the actual study, not an article on the study. You always want to make sure that you can give credit to the original author whenever possible.
Here's the relevant link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41557-019-0385-8
Quantum dots are an additional quantum buzzword. However, they’re relatively simple. Quantum dots essentially exhibit special properties due to them being nanoscale crystal with unique quantum mechanical processesWhat the above means is that they’re really tiny, and super specialBasically, quantum dots are solar powered, as they respond to ultraviolet lightWith semiconducting along with some electrokinetics (movement of electrons), we find that quantum dots illuminate specific colors of light (based on their material) when exposed to UV lightIn addition, quantum dots have a dramatic increase in efficiency for solar energy harnessing, as opposed to our currently used crystalline silicon solar cellsThey can more than double efficiency because of their ability to generate (remember, not create) more than one exciton — a single-bound electron hole pair — per photon capture.
See the annotation above about the Photovoltaic Effect; when making a list, make sure it's referring back to your subject, that each point is distinct, and that no points are redundant or referring solely to a previous point.
What if we could create even more efficient quantum systems? Like make solar powered quantum computers? What if we could use new linear optic systems to create even more efficient quantum hardware, so that we could reduce costs and begin faster industrialization. Well, we can, and today, I’m going to be showing you how I figured this out. I hope you enjoy my project!
Your conversational style of writing is great, but it reads a little bit fractured. How would it read if you kept the content but changed the structure? For example:
"Quantum systems today are inefficient as they are are expensive, and slow to industrialize. How might we address these inefficiencies? By using new linear optic systems, we can create more efficient quantum hardware, reduce costs and speed up industrialization. Allow me to introduce you to solar-powered quantum computers!"
Same info, different order. Introductions are the most important part of your article, so make sure it's clear from the beginning (a) what you're talking about, (b) why you're talking about it, and (c) why people should want to keep reading.
Check out this article by Tony Yiu to get an example of a really solid intro that is clear, and hooks you in right away.
If you’ve ever heard of solar energy, then you’ve heard of the field, which describes the means in which photovoltaic-effect exhibiting
Make sure that your graphics don't split up your paragraphs.
Also, having the bold section header and the text overlaying the graphic is redundant. So we're not jumping around, refer back to the Tony Yiu article; notice how his graphics serve a purpose, and his headers do the work of introducing a new section.
Graphics as headers can work—that's a stylistic choice—just make sure you're consistent, and that they're either replacing or augmenting your header.
it doesn’t always have to be the sun that we’re referring tophotovoltaics have so many uses beyond the conventional idea of harnessing it to power different things
A numbered list isn't necessary here. You can collapse this information with the sentence that follows to form one cohesive paragraph.
Hardware Brush UpSkip over this section if you’ve read my articles before!The golden rings are known as the quantum computer skeleton. They represent different segmentations of cold that go all the way to close to absolute 0 (0 K) ~15 mKThe side cables are called the nerves. They carry the photons through the quantum computer for signal processing.The inner pole is the heart, where central cooling of physical qubits occurTop tube is the shells, which eliminate thermal fluctuationsThe bottom is the brain, or the QPU, which is a copper-gold-silicon disk that does all of the quantum computing power, and is held inside of a cryoperm shield which stops exposure to electromagnetic radiationProcessing Brush UpCredit: Google Images (GIF)This is a qubit, the fundamental unit of information for a quantum computer.Instead of existing in a classical value like a normal computer’s bit (where it’s 0 or 1), it is in a state of quantum coherence, where its in superposition, meaning its in both 0 and 1, or neither — an outcome which isn’t even possible on a classical computer.Credit: Kurzgesagt (converted to GIF)However, quantum decoherence occurs whenever a quantum bit is exposed to any sort of disruption, including temperature changes, vibration, light, etc. This is the main problem with our current quantum hardware. However, we induce quantum decoherence to get an answer out of a quantum computer by introducing it to a bias, such as a controlled magnetic field that hits the qubit and causes it to collapse into a classical state.Aside from superposition, there are two main other quantum phenomenon that are qubit characteristics: tunneling and entanglement. 🤯EntanglementCredit: Kurzgesagt (converted to GIF)Put simply, quantum entanglement is a property of qubits that when they are placed in a spatial proximity for a certain period of time, their quantum states start to become indistinguishable. This now means that whenever one qubit is affected or changed, the other will be too in some predictable way. As shown in the photos, this essentially means that when the one qubit assumes a classical value, the other will too. This type of relationship between qubits is inseparable, and the bond will remain no matter how far apart or differently oriented the entangled qubits are.TunnelingCredit: Kurzgesagt (converted to GIF)Woah!!! What did that electron just do?!??! Well this is another quantum phenomena called quantum tunneling. Quantum tunneling basically determines the ability for quantum computers to solve problems that classical computers physically can’t. This is becuase electrons can’t move through a barrier whose gravitational potential is higher than their initial kinetic energy, so they’ll just bonk off the barrier and stop trying. However, quantum tunneling means that a free quantum particle can just propogate directly though the barrier with no issues, essentially solving the problem.
This is all really interesting information, but is it serving your article? A quick document search shows that you only ever touch on a lot of these terms in this section. So, is it necessary for people to know this information to understand your article? Why not "get into the fun stuff" right away? If there is information that's necessary for the reader to understand, you could always sum it up and provide a link before explaining why it's necessary to understand.
NOTE: You could always link the articles you've posted about these topics at the end, increasing readership to your other work and keeping this article focused on solar powered quantum computers.
Okezue Bell
Hey Okezue! Great article, and super interesting project! Let's tighten it up a bit, discuss audience, tone of voice, and formatting.