Chinese Researchers Unveil 10x Larger Atom Array for Next-Gen Quantum Processors

Breakthrough in Quantum Physics

Scientists in China have announced a major advancement in quantum computing with the creation of the world’s largest atom array. The team successfully developed an array of 2,024 rubidium atoms in just 60 milliseconds, marking a tenfold increase compared to previous systems.

Led by Pan Jianwei and USTC Researchers

The study, led by renowned physicist Pan Jianwei and researchers at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), has been hailed as a significant step toward scalable quantum computing. The findings were published in Physical Review Letters.

Role of AI in Atom Arrangement

A specially designed artificial intelligence system played a crucial role in this achievement. The AI was able to arrange over 2,000 rubidium atoms – each acting as a qubit (the two-state unit of quantum information) – into perfect two- and three-dimensional patterns at unprecedented speed.

High-Speed Spatial Light Modulator

The process relied on a high-speed spatial light modulator to shape laser beams that trap and rearrange the atoms. This enabled the researchers to create flawless atomic arrays with high accuracy, achieving:

• 99.97% accuracy in single-qubit operations

• 99.5% accuracy in two-qubit operations

• 99.92% accuracy in qubit state detection

New Performance Metric: qCIR

To optimize performance, the team introduced a new metric called quantum circuit iteration rate (qCIR). This framework quantifies the balance between readout fidelity (accuracy of measurement) and atomic retention (stability of atoms in the array).

With rubidium-87 atoms, researchers demonstrated achievable qCIRs of:

• 197.2 Hz using single-photon detectors

• 154.5 Hz using cameras

Toward Scalable Quantum Computing

Neutral atom quantum processors are increasingly seen as a promising platform for large-scale quantum information processing. They offer both high fidelity and exceptional scalability, addressing one of the biggest challenges in making quantum computers practical: maintaining efficiency while scaling up.

The Chinese team’s success provides practical guidance for building high-throughput neutral atom quantum processors, with potential applications in:

• Quantum sensing

• Quantum simulation

• Near-term algorithm implementation

This breakthrough—achieving a perfect atom array of 2,024 rubidium atoms in just 60 milliseconds—represents a significant leap forward in the pursuit of practical, large-scale quantum computing. Researchers believe the system could eventually scale to tens of thousands of qubits, unlocking new frontiers in computation, simulation, and quantum technologies.

Source: interestingengineering.com