This new qubit could be 100 times less error-prone in superfluid quantum computer breakthrough

Researchers at the University of Surrey have proposed a new kind of qubit that could help address one of the biggest obstacles in quantum computing: keeping error rates low as systems become larger.

The concept uses superfluid helium, a form of helium with unusual quantum properties, to create a qubit that may be less sensitive to some of the disturbances that affect today's leading quantum computers.

Why Quantum Computers Struggle With Errors

Quantum computers rely on qubits to store and process information in ways that conventional computers cannot. Many current systems use superconducting circuits, but these are highly sensitive to electromagnetic noise and stray electrical charges - similar to the static electricity that can make hair cling to a balloon.

Even very small disturbances can disrupt the fragile quantum information stored in a qubit. As more qubits are added, controlling those errors becomes increasingly difficult, making scalability one of the central challenges in quantum computing.

In a study published in npj Quantum Information, researchers from Surrey's Quantum Sciences Group describe a different approach built around superfluid helium-3 - an unusual form of liquid helium that can flow without friction.