"In my research at TU Delft I want to push the boundaries of what is possible in quantum mechanics by conducting fundamental experiments on semi-conductor structures with nano dimensions", Professor Vandersypen explained. "We are like cowboys heading off in search of adventure, way off the beaten track, towards new horizons. I hope and expect that this sense of adventure and curiosity about the unknown will lead to unexpected breakthroughs and new technologies."

It has been 100 years since the birth of quantum theory and now there are concrete ideas on how we can channel this theory in new technologies. In the quantum world, two electrons can be entangled, which means that measuring one electron immediately determines the state of the other, and vice versa. This property forms the basis of a totally new range of future applications, such as the super-fast quantum computer.

During his doctoral research at Stanford University, Professor Vandersypen came up with one of the first quantum calculations, still regarded as the most complex to date. All the experts believe we are still a long way from a working quantum computer, but Professor Vandersypen does not share the scepticism of some of his colleagues: "If we really put our minds to it, we can build a quantum computer."

The first link in the future quantum computer is already among us in the shape of the qubit. In a regular computer, a bit can be seen as the smallest switch, which stands for on or off, or 0 or 1. In a quantum computer, qubits can represent both the 0 and the 1 simultaneously. This property of quantum particles allows us to compute much more rapidly than is possible with classical bits. But it takes thousands of qubits linked together to create a quantum computer.

Professor Vandersypen noted: "In recent years we have produced all the building blocks for a quantum computer at Delft. Capturing a single electron in a quantum dot and a second electron in an adjoining dot has become a routine procedure." TU Delft is in the unique position of being able to read the spin of a single electron. This amounts to the direction in which an electron is spinning, which represents the 0 or 1 state in a qubit. TU Delft also remains the only institute that can allow an electron to spin in a controlled manner. "Thanks to this series of experiments we are now on the verge of entangling electron spins in a controlled manner. We want to show this under experimental conditions and use it as a basis for using entanglement in demonstration experiments",� Lieven Vandersypen revealed.