Ultrasensitive Microwave Detector Developed – Enabling Technology for Next-Generation Quantum Computers

(SciTechDaily) A joint international research team from POSTECH of South Korea, Raytheon BBN Technologies, Harvard University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the U.S., Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology in Spain, and the National Institute for Materials Science in Japan have together developed ultrasensitive sensors that can detect microwaves with the highest theoretically possible sensitivity. The research findings, published in the prominent international academic journal Nature, are drawing attention as an enabling technology for commercializing the next-generation of technologies including quantum computers.
“This study is significant in that it has established a scalable technology to enable the next-generation quantum devices,” remarked Professor Gil-Ho Lee of POSTECH, who led the study. He further explained, “This study developed a bolometer technology that measures how many microwave photons are absorbed per unit time. But currently, we are developing a single-photon detection technology that can distinguish each microwave photon.” He concluded, “We expect this technology to maximize the measuring efficiency of quantum computing and drastically reduce the indirect resources to enable large-scale quantum computers that will be of great use. Dr. Kin Chung Fong of Raytheon BBN Technologies commented, “We are seeing an unexpected interest in this study from those researching the origins of the universe in the field of radio astronomy and those studying dark matter in particle physics.” He added, “This is an example of how research on basic science can be applied to various fields.”