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Category: computing

Where’s my qubit? Scientists develop technique to detect atom loss

Quiet quitting isn’t just for burned out employees. Atoms carrying information inside quantum computers, known as qubits, sometimes vanish silently from their posts. This problematic phenomenon, called atom loss, corrupts data and spoils calculations.

But Sandia National Laboratories and the University of New Mexico have for the first time demonstrated a practical way to detect these “leakage errors” for neutral atom platforms. This achievement removes a major roadblock for one branch of quantum computing, bringing scientists closer to realizing the technology’s full potential. Many experts believe quantum computers will help reveal truths about the universe that are impossible to glean with current technology.

“We can now detect the loss of an atom without disturbing its ,” said Yuan-Yu Jau, Sandia atomic physicist and principal investigator of the experiment team.

Low-threshold lasing from colloidal quantum dots under quasi-continuous-wave excitation

Researchers demonstrate quantum dot lasing using excitation by an electrically modulated (0.1–1% duty cycle), low-power continuous-wave laser diode, achieving lasing at a pump intensity just above 500 W cm−2 at 77 K and 3.6 kW cm−2 at room temperature.

Why quantum computers have memory problems over time

A team of Australian and international scientists has, for the first time, created a full picture of how errors unfold over time inside a quantum computer—a breakthrough that could help make future quantum machines far more reliable.

The researchers, led by Macquarie University’s Dr. Christina Giarmatzi, found that the tiny errors that plague quantum computers don’t just appear randomly. Instead, they can linger, evolve and even link together across different moments in time.

The team has made its experimental data and code openly available, and the full study is published in Quantum.

Einstein in a Chip: Hidden Geometry Bends Electrons Like Gravity

A team at UNIGE has uncovered a geometric structure once thought to be purely theoretical at the core of quantum materials, opening the door to major advances in future electronics. How can information be processed almost instantly, or electrical current flow without energy loss? To reach these g

Silicon atom processor links 11 qubits with more than 99% fidelity

In order to scale quantum computers, more qubits must be added and interconnected. However, prior attempts to do this have resulted in a loss of connection quality, or fidelity. But, a new study published in Nature details the design of a new kind of processor that overcomes this problem. The processor, developed by the company Silicon Quantum Computing, uses silicon—the main material used in classical computers—along with phosphorus atoms to link 11 qubits.

The new design uses precision-placed phosphorus atoms in isotopically purified silicon-28, which are arranged into two multi-nuclear spin registers. One register contains four phosphorus atoms, while the other contains five, and each register shares an electron spin. The two registers are linked by electron exchange interaction, allowing for non-local connectivity across the registers and 11 linked qubits.

Because of the placement of silicon and phosphorus in the periodic table, the design is referred to as the “14|15 platform.” This 11-qubit atom processor in silicon is the largest of its kind to date, marking a major accomplishment for quantum computing.

Scientists build a quantum computer that can repair itself using recycled atoms

Like their conventional counterparts, quantum computers can also break down. They can sometimes lose the atoms they manipulate to function, which can stop calculations dead in their tracks. But scientists at the US-based firm Atom Computing have demonstrated a solution that allows a quantum computer to repair itself while it’s still running.

The team zeroed in on quantum computers that use neutral atoms (atoms with equal numbers of protons and electrons). These individual atoms are the qubits, or the basic building blocks of a quantum computer’s memory. They are held in place by laser beams called optical tweezers, but the setup is not foolproof.

Occasionally, an atom slips out of its trap and disappears. When this happens mid-calculation, the whole process can grind to a halt because the computer can’t function with a missing part.

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