Quantum computers need to preserve quantum information for a long time to be able to crack important problems faster than a normal computer. Energy losses take the state of the qubit from 1 to 0, destroying stored quantum information at the same time. Consequently, scientists all over the globe have traditionally worked to remove all sources of energy loss—or dissipation—from these exciting machines.
Dr Mikko Möttönen from Aalto University and his research team have taken a different point of view.
‘Years ago we realized that quantum computers actually need dissipation to operate efficiently. The trick is to have it only when you need it,’ he explains
In their paper published in Nature Physics, the scientists from Aalto University and the University of Oulu demonstrate that they can increase the dissipation rate, on demand, by a factor of thousand in a high-quality superconducting resonator—just like the ones used in prototype quantum computers.
About Aalto University
AALTO University is a multidisciplinary university in the fields of Science and Technology, Economics, Architecture, and Art and Design. It has 409 faculty members and a student body of 20,000, 70% of which are students in Science and Technology. AALTO University was founded in 2010 by merging three Finnish universities: The Helsinki School of Economics, The University of Art and Design Helsinki, and Helsinki University of Technology. The three schools are all leading institutions in their respective fields and in their own right. Aalto University is a multidisciplinary community where Science and Art meet Technology and Business. The university is committed to identifying and solving grand societal challenges and building an innovative future.
