This Metaphorical Cat Is Dead And Alive At The Same Time, And It Could Solve Errors In Quantum Computing
In a recent study, University of New South Wales (UNSW) researchers have applied ideas from the famous Schrödinger’s cat thought experiment to develop new techniques for managing errors in quantum computing. This breakthrough could help overcome a major challenge in making quantum computers functional for practical applications.
Quantum computing could revolutionize how we use and scale computing technology due to its extraordinary processing speed. Unlike classical bits, which are either 1 or 0, quantum computing relies on qubits, which can exist in both states at once.
This phenomenon, called superposition, allows quantum computers to process multiple possibilities at the same time, significantly boosting calculation speeds.
Yet, this advantage also comes with a major hurdle: the method is highly susceptible to errors that can quickly accumulate.
Scientists have been exploring various methods to correct these errors, as solving this problem is key to making quantum computers viable on a larger scale.
Schrödinger’s cat is a well-known thought experiment introduced by Erwin Schrödinger, an Austrian physicist, to illustrate the concept of superposition in quantum mechanics. It imagines a cat placed inside a sealed box with a device that could either kill it or leave it unharmed.
Since the outcome is unknown until the box is opened, the cat is considered simultaneously alive and dead, a condition referred to as superposition.
“No one has ever seen an actual cat in a state of being both dead and alive at the same time, but people use Schrödinger’s cat metaphor to describe a superposition of quantum states that differ by a large amount,” explained UNSW Professor Andrea Morello, who led the team.
For their study, the researchers conducted an experiment using an antimony atom as a qubit, representing the concept of Schrödinger’s cat.
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In quantum computing, nuclear spins of “up” and “down” are often used to represent the binary states of “on” and “off.” However, when a spin shifts unexpectedly, it can cause a logical error in the system.
Antimony, a heavy element, stands out because of its large nuclear spin, which allows it to occupy any of eight possible directions.
This means that if “0” represents a dead cat and “1” represents a live cat, a shift in spin direction does not immediately lead to logical errors, making it more resilient.
“As the proverb goes, a cat has nine lives. One little scratch is not enough to kill it. Our metaphorical ‘cat’ has seven lives: it would take seven consecutive errors to turn the ‘0’ into a ‘1,’” said Xi Yu, the study’s lead author.
“This is the sense in which the superposition of antimony spin states in opposite directions is ‘macroscopic’ because it’s happening on a larger scale and realizes a Schrödinger’s cat.”
With support from University of Melbourne researchers, the team integrated an antimony atom into a silicon-based quantum chip.
This approach made it possible to store information using standard binary code while also creating a system that can handle errors more effectively. If a mistake arises, the system allows it to be detected and corrected before it can compound.
“To continue the ‘Schrödinger’s cat’ metaphor, it’s as if we saw our cat coming home with a big scratch on his face. He’s far from dead, but we know that he got into a fight,” Morello detailed.
“We can go and find who caused the fight before it happens again and our cat gets further injuries.”
The results introduce a scalable approach to quantum error correction, paving the way for the practical use of quantum computing in real-world scenarios.
To read the study’s complete findings, which have since been published in Nature Physics, visit the link here.
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