By
10 min ago 2 min read
US-based quantum computing startup EeroQ is claiming a breakthrough in electron-on-helium use in production processes.
To date there have been six major approaches to building a quantum computer, utilising superconducting circuits, ion traps, neutral atoms, photonics, silicon spin, and topological qubits. Yet all have grappled with qubit scale limitations.
EeroQ’s demonstration, in which electron qubits float on helium, now establishes qubits based on electrons on helium as a viable seventh option. The results have been peer reviewed and published in .
Nick Farina, Co-founder and CEO of EeroQ, said its work marked a seminal moment for quantum computing.
“For over 25 years, electrons on helium have been identified as a uniquely promising qubit platform, but until now, no one had demonstrated the ability to couple to an actual electron qubit state in this system,” he said. “Our result changes that, and it’s just the beginning. It opens the door to an even more powerful qubit, based on the electron’s spin magnetism that we believe will outperform anything available today.”
The concept of using electrons floating on the surface of liquid helium as qubits was first conceived of in 1999 by researchers at Bell Labs and Michigan State University and published in Science, and later expanded upon by EeroQ’s CTO, Princeton professor Stephen Lyon.
The approach has long been recognised for its potential to combine exceptional qubit quality with rapid scalability, owing to its compatibility with CMOS: the same semiconductor fabrication technology used to manufacture today’s computer chips and smartphones.
While the physics foundations are now validated, experts estimate it will still take up to seven years to demonstrate multi-qubit entanglement and achieve commercial fault tolerance.
The quantum computing outlook is transitioning from research to commercial reality. The market is projected to expand significantly, rising to as much as $20bn by 2030.
Rising valuations in could spell good news for firms working across their supply chain, including specialty gas suppliers and quantum cooling specialists.
