(NewsAtlas) An MIT team has shown just how vulnerable they are and what it might take to protect them. While quantum computers are advancing at an exciting pace, unfortunately this progress may soon stall. Cosmic rays streaming down to Earth could interfere with the integrity of the information in these quantum computers.
There’s a major hurdle to making practical quantum computers. Qubits have fairly low coherence times, which refers to how long they can remain in this superposition state. That’s because they’re sensitive to outside interference like heat, magnetic and electric fields, or even the low-level radiation that surrounds us all the time.
Some of the worst offenders come from space. Cosmic rays and the cascade of secondary particles they create are constantly raining down on us, and while we personally might not notice them they can wreak havoc on electronics.
Some of the worst offenders come from space. Cosmic rays and the cascade of secondary particles they create are constantly raining down on us, and while we personally might not notice them they can wreak havoc on electronics.
Cosmic Rays & Secondary Particles Can Wreak Havoc On All Electronics, Including Quantum Computers
