Quantum computers are the ever-elusive holy grail of modern-day engineering. Their quantum quirkiness and ability to go beyond the limits of binary thinking would allow them to solve incomprehensibly complex problems that even today’s best supercomputers can’t handle.Key to any successful quantum computer is the qubit, the quantum equivalent of the bit of information in traditional computers. What’s really key is the ability to build a computer with qubits — plural — that can all communicate with one another and transmit information without breaking down.
A team of scientists from the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands have made big strides in realizing that goal. In a paper published Wednesday in the peer-review journal Science, the group explains that they were able to transfer quantum information — specifically, the spin of an electron — to a photon on one silicon chip.
Coupling these together is a significant advance in quantum communication, one that opens the door to producing large groupings of qubits housed on one chip that can then all interact even if they aren’t positioned right next to each other. This is exactly what would be needed to create a full-fletched quantum computer.