Major advances in quantum computer technology

Melbourne: Scientists in Australia and the UK have created ultra-pure silicon to make quantum computers error-free and more stable.

According to scientists from the University of Melbourne and the University of Manchester, using a new technique, engineers have created an ultra-pure silicon that is the perfect material for building large-scale quantum computers.

These quantum computers could be revolutionary for humanity and solve problems that would take current technology hundreds of years to solve.

The invented material will help scientists overcome the problem of ‘fragile quantum coherence’ faced in building such computers. In this problem, quantum computers make mistakes very quickly, which means they can become unreliable very quickly.

Quantum bits or qubits are the basis of quantum computers, just like bits in classical computers. However, even minor changes in their environment (such as temperature changes) can affect them. That’s why the quantum computers we have today, which are kept in refrigerators to keep temperatures low, can only run for fractions of a second without making an error.

Development of new materials will help to overcome this problem. It uses qubits made of phosphorus atoms, which are then embedded in crystals of pure stable silicon, making them even stronger.