https://phys.org/news/2021-02-tackles-central-powerful-quantum.html Phys.org Topics * Week's top * Latest news * Unread news * Subscribe [ ] Science X Account [ ] [ ] [*] Remember me Sign In Click here to sign in with or Forget Password? Not a member? Sign up Learn more * Nanotechnology * Physics * Earth * Astronomy & Space * Technology * Chemistry * Biology * Other Sciences * * share this! * 134 * 33 * Share * Email 1. Home 2. Physics 3. Quantum Physics * * * --------------------------------------------------------------------- February 12, 2021 New research tackles a central challenge of powerful quantum computing by University of Massachusetts Amherst quantum Credit: CC0 Public Domain To build a universal quantum computer from fragile quantum components, effective implementation of quantum error correction (QEC) is an essential requirement and a central challenge. QEC is used in quantum computing, which has the potential to solve scientific problems beyond the scope of supercomputers, to protect quantum information from errors due to various noise. Published by the journal Nature, research co-authored by University of Massachusetts Amherst physicist Chen Wang, graduate students Jeffrey Gertler and Shruti Shirol, and postdoctoral researcher Juliang Li takes a step toward building a fault-tolerant quantum computer. They have realized a novel type of QEC where the quantum errors are spontaneously corrected. Today's computers are built with transistors representing classical bits (0's or 1's). Quantum computing is an exciting new paradigm of computation using quantum bits (qubits) where quantum superposition can be exploited for exponential gains in processing power. Fault-tolerant quantum computing may immensely advance new materials discovery, artificial intelligence, biochemical engineering and many other disciplines. Since qubits are intrinsically fragile, the most outstanding challenge of building such powerful quantum computers is efficient implementation of quantum error correction. Existing demonstrations of QEC are active, meaning that they require periodically checking for errors and immediately fixing them, which is very demanding in hardware resources and hence hinders the scaling of quantum computers. In contrast, the researchers' experiment achieves passive QEC by tailoring the friction (or dissipation) experienced by the qubit. Because friction is commonly considered the nemesis of quantum coherence, this result may appear quite surprising. The trick is that the dissipation has to be designed specifically in a quantum manner. This general strategy has been known in theory for about two decades, but a practical way to obtain such dissipation and put it in use for QEC has been a challenge. "Although our experiment is still a rather rudimentary demonstration, we have finally fulfilled this counterintuitive theoretical possibility of dissipative QEC," says Chen. "Looking forward, the implication is that there may be more avenues to protect our qubits from errors and do so less expensively. Therefore, this experiment raises the outlook of potentially building a useful fault-tolerant quantum computer in the mid to long run." Chen describes in layman's terms how strange the quantum world can be. "As in German physicist Erwin Schrodinger's famous (or infamous) example, a cat packed in a closed box can be dead or alive at the same time. Each logical qubit in our quantum processor is very much like a mini-Schrodinger's cat. In fact, we quite literally call it a `cat qubit.' Having lots of such cats can help us solve some of the world's most difficult problems. "Unfortunately, it is very difficult to keep a cat staying that way since any gas, light, or anything leaking into box will destroy the magic: The cat will become either dead or just a regular live cat," explains Chen. "The most straightforward strategy to protect a Schrodinger's cat is to make the box as tight as possible, but that also makes it harder to use it for computation. What we just demonstrated was akin to painting the inside of the box in a special way and that somehow helps the cat better survive the inevitable harm of the outside world." --------------------------------------------------------------------- Explore further Error-protected quantum bits entangled for the first time --------------------------------------------------------------------- More information: Jeffrey M. Gertler et al, Protecting a bosonic qubit with autonomous quantum error correction, Nature (2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03257-0 Journal information: Nature Provided by University of Massachusetts Amherst Citation: New research tackles a central challenge of powerful quantum computing (2021, February 12) retrieved 12 February 2021 from https://phys.org/news/2021-02-tackles-central-powerful-quantum.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. 168 shares * Facebook * Twitter * Email Feedback to editors * Featured * Last Comments * Popular Environmental scientists cite need for studies looking into impact of microplastics 5 hours ago 0 Using genetic sequencing to determine if bird and mammal brains work the same 7 hours ago 0 Study of europium in crystals suggest Earth's middle ages were a time of flatlands 9 hours ago 1 Researchers gather numerical evidence of quantum chaos in the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev model Feb 11, 2021 1 Iridium-catalyzed Z-retentive asymmetric allylic substitution reactions Feb 11, 2021 1 --------------------------------------------------------------------- [gif] Psychology professor's 'couple simulation' model helps us dive into the mysteries of mate selection 1 hour ago [gif] More trees do not always create a cooler planet, geographer finds 2 hours ago [gif] TESS discovers new worlds in a river of young stars 2 hours ago [gif] 'See through soil' could help farmers deal with future droughts 4 hours ago [gif] Epidemic possibly caused population collapse in Central Africa 1400-1600 years ago 4 hours ago [gif] 'Sex, lasers and male competition:' fruit flies win genetic race with rivals 5 hours ago [gif] Study: Humpback whales aren't learning their songs from one another 5 hours ago --------------------------------------------------------------------- Relevant PhysicsForums posts Creating artificial gravity Feb 11, 2021 Could Archimedes' problem have been solved a little differently? Feb 11, 2021 Fire protection -- Water in a cylinder pressurized with Nitrogen Feb 09, 2021 AdS/CFT electromagnetic wavefunction emergence Feb 08, 2021 On the non-applicability of Newtonian mechanics Feb 08, 2021 Does string theory falsify the theory of special relativity? Feb 07, 2021 More from Other Physics Topics --------------------------------------------------------------------- * Related Stories [gif] Error-protected quantum bits entangled for the first time Jan 13, 2021 [gif] New blueprint for more stable quantum computers Jan 22, 2021 [gif] Technique prevents errors in quantum computers Sep 09, 2020 [gif] IonQ announces development of next-generation quantum computer Oct 02, 2020 [gif] Quantum researchers create an error-correcting cat Aug 12, 2020 [gif] New quantum computing algorithm skips past time limits imposed by decoherence Oct 05, 2020 * Recommended for you [gif] Applying quantum computing to a particle process 7 hours ago [gif] Researchers gather numerical evidence of quantum chaos in the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev model Feb 11, 2021 [gif] AEgIS on track to test freefall of antimatter Feb 11, 2021 [gif] First-ever observation of multi-photon Fano effect could lead to boost in quantum computing Feb 10, 2021 [gif] Quantum effects help minimize communication flaws Feb 10, 2021 [gif] ATLAS finds evidence of a rare Higgs boson decay Feb 09, 2021 User comments What do you think about this particular story? Your feedback will go directly to Science X editors. [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Your message to the editors [ ] Your email (only if you want to be contacted back) [ ] Send Feedback Thank you for taking your time to send in your valued opinion to Science X editors. You can be assured our editors closely monitor every feedback sent and will take appropriate actions. Your opinions are important to us. We do not guarantee individual replies due to extremely high volume of correspondence. E-mail the story New research tackles a central challenge of powerful quantum computing Your friend's email [ ] Your email [ ] [ ] I would like to subscribe to Science X Newsletter. Learn more Your name [ ] Note Your email address is used only to let the recipient know who sent the email. Neither your address nor the recipient's address will be used for any other purpose. The information you enter will appear in your e-mail message and is not retained by Phys.org in any form. [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Your message [ ] Send Newsletter sign up Get weekly and/or daily updates delivered to your inbox. You can unsubscribe at any time and we'll never share your details to third parties. [ ] Subscribe More information Privacy policy Medical Xpress Medical Xpress Medical research advances and health news Tech Xplore Tech Xplore The latest engineering, electronics and technology advances Science X Science X The most comprehensive sci-tech news coverage on the web Newsletters [ ] Subscribe Science X Daily and the Weekly Email Newsletter are free features that allow you to receive your favorite sci-tech news updates in your email inbox Follow us * * * * * Top * Home * Search * Mobile version * Help * FAQ * About * Contact * Science X Account * Sponsored Account * Archive * News wire * Android app * iOS app * RSS feeds * Push notification (c) Phys.org 2003 - 2021 powered by Science X Network Privacy policy Terms of use Your Privacy This site uses cookies to assist with navigation, analyse your use of our services, and provide content from third parties. By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Ok More Information E-mail newsletter [ ] Subscribe Follow us * * * * It appears that you are currently using Ad Blocking software. What are the consequences? x Quantcast