Two ways of making quantum computing components with olympian accuracy have been announced at the same time by different team in the same laboratory . One of these has also set a man track record for longevity .
Quantum computing has beenhailed as one of the technologiesthat could revolutionise the 21st Century . However , despitemanyannouncementsofprogress , practical achievements have prove more problematic than anticipated . One of the reasonableness has been that it has turn over out to be very difficult to produce qubits — the introductory unit of quantum computer — that process data point with sufficient accuracy .
" For quantum computation to become a realness we need to operate the bits with very low computer error rate , " state Professor Andrew Dzurak of the University of New South Wales . summons have been develop to set casual error , but these break down when the error rate gets too high .
So the promulgation inNature Nanotechnologyof two distinct manner to make qubits that have greater than 99 % accuracy in their processes marks a significant milepost in the farsighted quest .
The common feature to the two methods is that both implant their qubits in thin layers of atomic number 14 28 . Although28Si is the most common isotope of atomic number 14 , more than 7 % of the atomic number 14 on Earth has superfluous neutrons . The heavier isotopes move the dependableness of qubits around them .
One of the methodsuses phosphorus atoms as its figure twist . pass author of the paper Dr. Juha Muhonen say , " The phosphorus atom contains in fact two qubits : the electron , and the core group . With the nucleus in peculiar , we have achieved truth closely to 99.99 % . That means only one error for every 10,000 quantum process . "
Thealternative methodis based onartificial atoms . While the mistake charge per unit for these is higher than the P , they have the advantage of being made using technology that is already extremely develop . " It is really amazing that we can make such an precise qubit using somewhat much the same equipment as we have in our laptop and phones , ” state tether writer Dr. Menno Veldherst .
Dzurak claims , “ Our experimentation are among the first in solid - state , and the first - ever in silicon ” to break the 99 % barrier .
Another problem for quantum calculation is humble coherence time . " Coherence time is a measure of how long you’re able to bear on quantum information before it ’s lost , " say Morello . Many of the qubits being worked on around the man have their coherence time measured in micro or even nanosecond . However , Morello ’s team made their qubits last more than 30 seconds , “ an eternity in the quantum world ” in his words .