Ben Turner is a staff writer, based in the UK, for our publication Live Science. In a recent paper, he documented a big breakthrough in quantum computing that could begin to remedy the age-old quantum dilemma of decoherence due to environmental noise. Now researchers have finalized this groundbreaking technology, publishing their detailed process March 26 in the journal Nature Communications. This finding might eventually lead to more robust quantum networks.
Turner has a degree in particle physics from University College London. He is trained as a journalist, which helps him craft these complex scientific topics into more digestible content for a wider audience. His background in both physics and journalism positions him well to report on developments in the field of quantum technology. He enjoys discovering classic literature and strumming the guitar. He’s a little bit ashamed of his main chess ability, in fact.
Understanding Quantum Entanglement
Quantum entanglement is the heart of quantum computing. This strange phenomenon links the states of two particles, even if they’re light years apart. This relationship creates the possibility of real-time information dissemination across different times and spaces. (Photo by OlegMukhametshin/Shutterstock, Art by Beginning with the quantum–What is entanglement?
Quantum bits—qubits—are the fundamental units of information in quantum computing. Where classical bits are limited to a 0 or a 1, qubits provide an astonishing benefit. They can be in theoretically and practically unlimited superpositions of these two states. This special property allows quantum computers to solve intricate computations at a scale and pace impossible for classical computers.
As researchers have 20 years the unsurpassed challenge the long known, fragility entanglement. Decoherence, driven by environmental factors, destroys the fragile entangled state and introduces computational errors. Andrew Forbes, a leading researcher in the field, emphasized this concern by stating, “Everyone agrees that there is no point in pushing for more qubits unless we can make them less noisy.”
The Role of Topological Qubits and Optical Skyrmions
In their new research, Forbes and his colleagues experimented with creative solutions. They first worked on qubit integrity and then ran into problems with decoherence, which means fewer execution tolerances. Their idea was to employ topological qubits, whose qubit states represent information based on the shape traced by two non-local entangled particles. This approach takes advantage of the topological characteristics of entangled states. This ensures that the information remains coherent, despite some of that entanglement starting to erode.
The researchers were able to characterize a novel optical skyrmions—wave-like fields created by the interaction between two entangled photons. Such skyrmions could improve quantum computing function. Such quasiparticles might open up fresh avenues for researchers to find robust qubit configurations that resist environmental noise.
As Forbes emphasized, this means leaning into the spontaneous destruction of entanglement, not working to subvert it. “We decided to let the entanglement decay—it is always fragile so let it be so—and instead preserve information even with very little entanglement,” he explained. This new perspective completely alters our approach to supporting quantum computing. It implies that actively maintaining at least some entanglement is beneficial, though.
Implications for Future Quantum Networks
The broader impacts of this research go beyond intellectual merit. They indicate real-world applications to communication networks and computing systems. As Forbes remarked, “Once we have this, we can start to think about using topology in practical situations, like communication networks and in computing.” Creating these pathways, proving that we can build more robust quantum networks, would change the game in every sphere—from our approach to cybersecurity to next-gen computational modeling.
This innovation is a perfect example of the amazing ingenuity driving today’s research. Most importantly, perhaps, it shows just how crucial cooperation and communication is between physicists and engineers. The quantum computing world is moving at breakneck speeds. Findings such as these will be important in clearing the hurdles that currently exist, hampering progress and paving the way for new tech-enabled opportunities.
