Quantum computers may have taken a major step toward becoming more reliable after researchers developed a technique that can perform certain advanced operations more than 1,000 times faster than existing approaches.Scientists at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden say their method can reduce operations that previously required thousands of repeated control cycles to a single driving cycle. The finding could help address one of the biggest challenges facing quantum computing: keeping fragile quantum information intact long enough to complete a calculation.The breakthrough does not mean fully error-free quantum computers are now available. But by dramatically shortening the time needed to perform certain operations, researchers believe the approach could reduce the window in which noise and other disturbances can disrupt a quantum calculation.The theoretical study, published in Physical Review Letters, focuses on quantum error correction and a technology known as bosonic quantum codes.Why quantum computers struggle with errorsQuantum computers work differently from conventional machines. Instead of using ordinary bits that represent information as either 0 or 1, they use quantum bits, or qubits, which can exist in delicate quantum states.Those states are extremely sensitive to their surroundings. Even small disturbances can alter the information being processed.Electrical noise, unwanted heat and radiation from sources such as cosmic rays can introduce errors. If enough errors accumulate before they can be corrected, the calculation can fail.This creates a difficult problem for researchers. Quantum computers need sophisticated error-correction systems to become reliable, but the processes used to create and manipulate error-correcting states can themselves take time.The longer a quantum operation takes, the more opportunity there is for the surrounding environment to interfere.That is why the new speed improvement could be important.A new shortcut for delicate quantum operationsThe Chalmers researchers, Lei Du and Tangyou Huang, are investigating an approach in which quantum information is stored differently.With bosonic quantum codes, information is encoded in microwave fields inside superconducting circuits rather than being stored directly in individual qubits. The technique can provide protection against certain categories of quantum errors.But manipulating these encoded states has traditionally been a lengthy process.Previous approaches could require thousands of repeated driving cycles to create the desired quantum states and perform complicated operations. Every additional cycle represents another opportunity for noise to affect the system.The new method changes that equation.Researchers propose carrying out a broad range of operations within a single driving cycle. If the approach can be demonstrated experimentally, calculations that once required thousands of repeated steps could potentially be completed much more rapidly.That could improve not only processing speed but also the reliability of quantum operations.Quantum lattice gates could cut thousands of stepsAt the heart of the approach are quantum lattice gates, a recently proposed set of universal quantum operations developed by the same research team.In simple terms, the gates provide a way of packaging complicated quantum operations into more efficient building blocks.Instead of gradually steering a quantum system through a long sequence of control processes, the proposed method uses these gates to carry out the operation during one period of periodic control.The researchers describe the concept as similar to using pre-assembled modules rather than constructing something piece by piece. Fewer individual steps mean less time spent exposed to environmental disturbances.The technique uses a form of periodic quantum control known as Floquet control. Earlier implementations have generally relied on multiple repeated cycles, whereas the new proposal aims to execute quantum lattice gates directly within a single cycle.According to the researchers, this could make certain operations more than a thousand times faster.Why faster quantum computing could mean fewer errorsSpeed is not merely about getting a quantum computer to produce an answer more quickly.For today's quantum machines, speed can also be a form of protection.Quantum information is fragile, and disturbances do not wait for a calculation to finish. Reducing the number of control cycles could therefore reduce the amount of time available for errors to accumulate.The researchers believe their work tackles a significant bottleneck in the development of fault-tolerant quantum computers—machines capable of performing useful calculations despite the errors that naturally occur in quantum systems.A faster operation alone will not solve the quantum error problem. Large-scale quantum computers will still require sophisticated error correction, highly controlled hardware and many other technological advances.But reducing the time required for important operations could make those systems easier to operate and potentially more resilient.The next test will happen in the laboratoryThe proposed technique is particularly relevant to superconducting quantum computers, one of the leading platforms being developed around the world.Chalmers is already working on superconducting technology as part of efforts to build a 100-qubit quantum computer. The researchers say they are discussing possible experimental implementations of their method and hope it can eventually be tested on real hardware.That step will be crucial.The current work is a theoretical study, meaning the proposed operations now need to be demonstrated experimentally under the physical constraints of an actual quantum processor.If laboratory tests confirm the predicted advantages, the technique could become another tool for researchers trying to build larger and more reliable quantum machines.Quantum computing has long promised breakthroughs in areas such as drug discovery, materials and energy research, cryptography, artificial intelligence and complex optimisation. Yet those possibilities depend on machines becoming far more dependable than today's noisy quantum systems.A method capable of compressing thousands of control cycles into one does not solve every obstacle standing in the way. But it could remove one particularly stubborn bottleneck.For a technology where every extra moment can give errors another chance to take hold, going faster could be one of the most important ways to become more reliable.Frequently asked questionsWhat is the new quantum computing breakthrough?Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have proposed a technique that can perform a broad range of operations on bosonic quantum states within a single driving cycle, rather than requiring thousands of cycles.Why are quantum computers so vulnerable to errors?Qubits and other quantum states are highly sensitive to environmental disturbances, including electrical noise, heat and radiation. These disturbances can change quantum information and cause calculations to fail.What are bosonic quantum codes?Bosonic quantum codes store quantum information in microwave or optical fields, such as those inside superconducting circuits, instead of relying solely on individual qubits. They can provide protection against certain types of quantum errors.Does the breakthrough mean error-free quantum computers are now possible?No. The research represents a theoretical advance rather than a finished error-free quantum computer. Experimental testing is still needed, and fault-tolerant machines will require several additional technological breakthroughs. However, making key operations dramatically faster could help reduce the time available for errors to accumulate.