This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Researchers at the University of Regensburg and their international partners have found a way to significantly reduce errors in quantum bits. In an experiment, they demonstrated that a single additional measurement before a series of quantum operations can cut the error rate by more than half.
The results have been published in Applied Physics Reviews. Quantum computers are widely regarded as a promising technology for solving problems beyond the reach of today's computers. One of their main challenges, however, is that their fundamental building blocks, known as quantum bits, are extremely sensitive to disturbances.
A quantum bit, usually shortened to qubit, is the basic unit of information in a quantum computer and plays a role similar to that of a bit in a conventional computer. While classical bits store information as either 0 or 1, qubits are realized by physical systems governed by the laws of quantum mechanics. In this study, the qubit consisted of a tiny superconducting electrical circuit on a chip that was controlled using microwave signals.
Even very small changes in a qubit's environment can alter its properties and introduce errors. The researchers focused on a superconducting qubit whose so-called resonance frequency would uncontrollably switch between two known values. The resonance frequency determines which microwave signals can be used to control the qubit with high precision.
If the frequency changes, the control signals must be adjusted accordingly. One way to think about this is as a musical instrument. If an instrument goes slightly out of tune, the same movements no longer produce exactly the intended notes.
Similarly, when a qubit's resonance frequency shifts, the control signals become less precise, and the likelihood of errors increases. Importantly, these two frequencies do not represent different computational states of the qubit. Rather, they are two possible properties of the same physical device.
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