Physicists at the University of Oxford have made a significant breakthrough in quantum computing by achieving an error rate as low as 0.000015% for a single-qubit operation. This is the most accurate qubit operation ever recorded and paves the way for building practical quantum computers that can tackle real-world problems.
To perform useful calculations on a quantum computer, millions of operations need to be run across many qubits. High error rates can render the final result meaningless, but by reducing errors, the number of required qubits is also decreased. This results in lower costs and sizes for quantum computers.
The team achieved this record-low error rate using trapped calcium ions as qubits, which are a natural choice due to their long lifetime and robustness. Unlike conventional laser-based approaches, the researchers controlled the quantum state of the calcium ions using electronic signals. This method offers greater stability and is cheaper, more robust, and easier to integrate.
The experiment was conducted at room temperature without magnetic shielding, simplifying technical requirements for a working quantum computer. While this achievement marks a major milestone, it’s part of a larger challenge. Reducing errors in two-qubit gates, which currently have significantly higher error rates, will be crucial to building fully fault-tolerant quantum machines.
The researchers’ paper was published online in the journal Physical Review Letters and offers hope for further advancements in quantum computing.
Source: https://www.sci.news/physics/new-record-qubit-operation-accuracy-13974.html