Researchers at QuTech have discovered a method to create Majorana particles within a two-dimensional plane. They accomplished this by designing devices that utilize the synergistic properties of superconductors and semiconductors. The versatility of this novel 2D platform enables previously unattainable experiments involving Majoranas. The findings are detailed in the journal Nature.
Quantum computers operate fundamentally differently from classical computers. While classical computers use bits as the basic unit of information, which can be either 0 or 1, quantum computers use qubits, which can exist in a state of 0, 1, or both simultaneously. This principle of superposition, combined with new quantum algorithms could allow quantum computers to solve certain problems much more efficiently than classical computers. However, the qubits that store this quantum information are inherently more fragile than classical bits.
Majorana qubits are based on states of matter that are topologically protected. This means that small local disturbances cannot destroy the state of the qubit. This robustness to external influences makes Majorana qubits highly desirable for quantum computing, since quantum information encoded in these states would remain stable for significantly longer times.
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