Progress On General-Purpose Quantum Computers


The race is on to scale up quantum computing, transforming it from an esoteric research tool into a commercially viable, general-purpose machine. Special-purpose quantum computers have been available for several years now. Systems like D-Wave’s Advantage focus on specific classes of problems that are amenable to modeling as quantum systems. Still, the ultimate goal of having a general purp... » read more

Emergent magnetic monopoles isolated using quantum-annealing computer


Using D-Wave’s quantum-annealing computer, Los Alamos National Laboratory has shown that it’s possible to isolate magnetic monopoles. This research could one day enable future nanomagnets.   Abstract: "Artificial spin ices are frustrated spin systems that can be engineered, wherein fine tuning of geometry and topology has allowed the design and characterization of exotic eme... » read more

The Great Quantum Computing Race


Quantum computing is heating up, as a growing number of entities race to benchmark, stabilize, and ultimately commercialize this technology. As of July 2021, a group from China appears to have taken the lead in terms of raw performance, but Google, IBM, Intel and other quantum computer developers aren’t far behind. All of that could change overnight, though. At this point, it's too early t... » read more

Where Imperfections Lead To Opportunity


By Evelyn Hu It is natural to hold a bias that assumes that the highest-quality devices are those formed from the most perfect materials (crystalline, well-ordered, stoichiometric). Therefore, it is ironic, and perhaps counterintuitive, that particular kinds of defects, such as vacancies (missing atoms) in semiconductor materials, can form the building blocks of a new quantum information tec... » read more

Power/Performance Bits: Jan. 5


Quiet qubits Researchers at the University of New South Wales Sydney recorded the lowest noise levels yet for a semiconductor qubit. Charge noise caused by material imperfections interferes with the information encoded on qubits, reducing accuracy. "The level of charge noise in semiconductor qubits has been a critical obstacle to achieving the accuracy levels we need for large-scale error-c... » read more

Power/Performance Bits: Nov. 9


Integrated transistor cooling Researchers at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) created a single chip that combines a transistor and microfluidic cooling system for more efficient transistor heat management. The team focused on a co-design approach for the electrical and mechanical aspects of the chip, bringing the electronics and cooling design together and aiming to extract... » read more

Power/Performance Bits: June 2


Neuromorphic memristor Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst used protein nanowires to create neuromorphic memristors capable of running at extremely low voltage. A challenge to neuromorphic computing is mimicking the low voltage at which the brain operates: it sends signals between neurons at around 80 millivolts. Jun Yao, an electrical and computer engineering researcher at ... » read more

The Long Road To Quantum Computing


Building a quantum computer is like building a cathedral. They both take a couple generations. The time frame for useful quantum computing applications that are not toy-sized is still a few years to a decade or more away. But the push is on now. Governments are racing to get their country’s quantum computing going for national security reasons. Companies such as Google and IBM are competin... » read more

System Bits: Oct. 1


Jumping the gap in microchips A quasi-particle that travels along the interface of a metal and dielectric material may be the solution to problems caused by shrinking electronic components, according to an international team of engineers. "Microelectronic chips are ubiquitous today," said Akhlesh Lakhtakia, Evan Pugh University Professor and Charles Godfrey Binder Professor of Engineering S... » read more

System Bits: Sept. 24


Quantum states Many companies and academic researchers are working on quantum computing technology, including the University of Buffalo. New research on two-dimensional tungsten disulfide (WS2) could open the door to advances in quantum computing, UB reports. In a paper published Sept. 13 in Nature Communications, scientists report that they can manipulate the electronic properties of th... » read more

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