Researchers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) have achieved a breakthrough in quantum computing by making atomic nuclei “talk” to one another inside silicon chips. This advance could accelerate the development of scalable, silicon-based quantum computers that use existing manufacturing processes.
The study, published in Science on September 18, demonstrates how two phosphorus atomic nuclei were entangled using electrons as mediators. Entanglement is a crucial phenomenon where two particles become so interconnected that their behavior is no longer independent.
Lead author Dr. Holly Stemp explained, “We succeeded in making the cleanest, most isolated quantum objects talk to each other, at the scale at which standard silicon electronic devices are currently fabricated.”
Quantum engineers have long faced the challenge of balancing two needs—shielding quantum bits (qubits) from interference while allowing them to interact for computations. The UNSW team solved this by using electrons as “telephones” to connect nuclei that would otherwise be isolated.
Dr. Stemp compared the previous limitations to people in soundproof rooms who could only communicate if crowded together. “With this breakthrough, it’s as if we gave people telephones to communicate with other rooms… now we can have conversations between many more people, even if they are far away.”
The experiment successfully linked nuclei about 20 nanometers apart—roughly one-thousandth the width of a human hair. Professor Andrea Morello emphasized, “This means we can adapt the manufacturing processes developed by the trillion-dollar semiconductor industry to the construction of quantum computers based on the spins of atomic nuclei.”
The team believes this robust and scalable method removes one of the largest roadblocks in quantum computing. By controlling electrons to connect nuclei across larger distances, they are paving the way for quantum processors compatible with today’s silicon chip technology.
Scientists Make Atoms “Talk” in Silicon Chips, Paving Way for Scalable Quantum Computers
