Researchers find a platform for stable quantum computing
Move over Godzilla vs. King Kong. This is the crossover event you’ve been waiting for — at least if you’re a condensed-matter physicist. Harvard University researchers have demonstrated the first material that can have both strongly correlated electron interactions and topological properties. Not sure what that means? Don’t worry, we’ll walk you through it. But the important thing to know is that this discovery not only paves the way for more stable quantum computing, but also creates an entirely new platform to explore the wild world of exotic physics. The research was published in Nature Physics. Let’s start with the basics. Topological insulators are materials that can conduct electricity on their surface or edge, but not in the middle. The strange thing about these materials is that no matter how you cut them, the surface will always be conducting and the middle always insulating. These materials offer a playground for fundamental physics, and...