QuTech researchers created Majorana particles in a two-dimensional plane by developing devices using superconductors and semiconductors, enabling previously inaccessible experiments. This advancement could lead to stable, topologically protected Majorana qubits, which would significantly benefit quantum computing.
Researchers have innovated a 2D method to produce Majorana particles, aiming to improve quantum computing with stable and efficient qubits.
QuTech researchers have discovered a method for creating Majorana particles in a two-dimensional plane. They achieved this by designing devices that use the synergistic properties of superconductors and semiconductors. The versatility of this new 2D platform enables previously inaccessible experiences involving Majoranas. The results are detailed in the review Nature.
Quantum computers work fundamentally differently from classical computers. While classical computers use bits as their basic unit of information, which can be 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.
Intrinsically stable qubits
Majorana qubits are based on topologically protected states of matter. This means that small local disturbances cannot destroy the qubit state. This robustness to external influences makes Majorana qubits highly desirable for quantum computingsince the quantum information encoded in these states would remain stable for much longer periods.
Majorana particles in two dimensions
Producing a complete Majorana qubit requires several steps. The first of these is the ability to reliably design Majoranas and demonstrate that they indeed possess the special properties that make them promising candidates for qubits. Previously, researchers from QuTech, a collaboration between TU Delft and TNO, used a one-dimensional nanowire to demonstrate a new approach to studying Majoranas by creating a Kitaev chain. In this approach, a string of semiconductor quantum dots are connected via superconductors to produce Majoranas.
Extending this result to two dimensions has several important implications. First author Bas ten Haaf explains: “By implementing the Kitaev chain in two dimensions, we show that the underlying physics is universal and platform independent. » His colleague and co-first author Qingzheng Wang adds: “Given the long-standing challenges related to reproducibility in Majorana research, our results are really encouraging. »
Road to Majorana qubits
The ability to create Kitaev chains in two-dimensional systems opens several avenues for Majorana’s future research. Lead researcher Srijit Goswami explains: “I think we are now in a position where we can do interesting research on Majoranas to probe their fundamental properties. For example, one can increase the number of sites in the Kitaev chain and systematically study the protection of Majorana particles. In the longer term, the flexibility and scalability of the 2D platform should allow us to think about concrete strategies for creating Majorana networks and integrating them with the auxiliary elements necessary for controlling and reading a Majorana qubit.
