High-Temp Superconductors Open the Door for Fault-Tolerant Quantum Computing

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Schematic of a bismuth selenide/BSCCO cuprateOver at LBNL, Lynn Yarris writes that reliable quantum computing would make it possible to solve certain types of extremely complex technological problems millions of times faster than today’s most powerful supercomputers. To make this possible scientists must learn to create “fault-tolerant” quantum computers. Now, researchers from China’s Tsinghua University and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have demonstrated high-temperature superconductivity, opening the door for fault-tolerant quantum computing.

We have shown that by interfacing a topological insulator, bismuth selenide, with a high temperature superconductor, BSCCO (bismuth strontium calcium copper oxide), it is possible to induce superconductivity in the topological surface state,” says Alexei Fedorov, a staff scientist for ALS beamline 12.0.1, where the induced high temperature superconductivity of the topological insulator heterostructure was confirmed. “This is the first reported demonstration of induced high temperature superconductivity in a topological surface state.”

Read the Full Story.