March 29, Kathmandu — Chinese researchers have made a groundbreaking achievement by successfully performing a complete ‘logical operation’ on a silicon-based quantum processor for the first time, marking a new milestone in the field of computing. Developed by the team at the Shenzhen International Quantum Academy, this chip possesses the capability to detect and correct errors autonomously during quantum computations. Previously, such success was only observed in superconducting circuits, but this is the first time it has been realized using silicon, a material widely employed in modern electronics.
Quantum systems are highly sensitive to external noise and disturbances, which increases the likelihood of computational errors. To address this challenge, scientists have precisely embedded phosphorus atoms into silicon to create ‘logical qubits’. To test this technology, the team ran a complex algorithm to calculate the energy states of a water molecule, and the results closely matched theoretical expectations.
Since silicon chips can already be mass-produced in semiconductor factories, this breakthrough is expected to pave the way for developing affordable and powerful quantum computers in the future.
