University Of Surrey Designs Superfluid Helium Qubit To Cut Errors By 100x

Researchers at the University of Surrey have designed a novel qubit based on superfluid helium-3, predicting error rates 100 times lower than those of conventional superconducting qubits. The proposed device, named the Superfluid Helium Oscillator Quantum (SHOQ), uniquely combines microfluidics with charge-neutral superfluid helium to potentially bypass vulnerabilities to electromagnetic noise.

“We are not the first to think about the individual components behind this idea, but what we have done for the first time is bring them together in a microfluidic device and work out the specific details that could enable the device to function as a qubit,” explains Dr. Priya Sharma, Research Fellow in Hybrid Quantum Systems. The team’s calculations, published in npj Quantum Information, suggest this design could offer a pathway toward more stable and scalable quantum computing.

Superfluid Helium Oscillator Quantum (SHOQ) Device Design

This predicted reduction stems from the device’s core material; superfluid helium-3, a unique liquid state exhibiting frictionless flow, forms the basis of the newly proposed qubit design. The team detailed a microfluidic architecture integrating previously explored components, specifying functionality within a complete qubit system for the first time. The SHOQ device uses charge-neutral superfluid helium, a characteristic the researchers believe will provide inherent immunity to certain electromagnetic interference sources.