Chinese physicist Pan Jianwei and his group have created a “quantum Lego block” that refuses to disintegrate – even when shaken.
Using a programmable quantum processor named Zuchongzhi 2, Pan’s group has simulated an unique new state of matter the place quantum results are locked into the corners of a cloth, in keeping with a paper revealed within the peer-reviewed journal Science on Friday. These nook states are protected by the deep legal guidelines of topology – a form of quantum armour in opposition to errors and noise.

This achievement marks the primary experimental realisation of what scientists name non-equilibrium higher-order topological phases. These supply a brand new strategy to retailer quantum data that doesn’t simply break down, which has been a significant problem for quantum computers.

Pan, a professor on the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) was as soon as referred to as the “father of quantum” by the journal Nature. He is now taking one of many boldest steps but within the tech race in opposition to the US in the direction of building sensible, fault-tolerant quantum computers.

In the paper, Pan, together with different researchers from USTC and Shanxi University, confirmed a strategy to simulate and detect the unusual and very advanced matter states with super stable corners or hinges as an alternative of surfaces or edges.

This new form of matter, which doesn’t exist in nature, may enable for quantum computers to function appropriately even within the presence of errors or noise, which is a present limitation on machine complexity owing to the sensitivity of quantum bits – the elemental items of quantum data, also called qubits – to their atmosphere.



Sources