A team of physicists has overcome a major obstacle in quantum computing by dramatically increasing the lifetime of magnons, tiny magnetic waves that can carry quantum information. The researchers extended their lifespan from just a few hundred nanoseconds to as long as 18 microseconds, nearly 100 times longer than previously achieved. The advance could eventually help make ultra-compact quantum computers, potentially as small as a 1-cent coin.
The international research team, led by Andrii Chumak of the University of Vienna, also uncovered an important insight. They found that the lifespan of magnons is not ultimately limited by the laws of physics, but by the quality of the material they travel through. Their findings were published in Science Advances.
What Are Magnons?
Magnons are tiny waves of magnetization that move through magnetic solids. They can be compared to ripples spreading across a pond after a stone is dropped into the water. Unlike photons, which travel through empty space or optical fibers, magnons remain inside magnetic materials.
Because their wavelengths can shrink to just a few nanometers, magnon-based circuits could potentially fit onto chips no larger than those already found in smartphones. Magnons also interact naturally with other fundamental quasiparticles, including phonons and photons, making them attractive building blocks for hybrid quantum systems and quantum metrology.
