In recent years, a great deal of progress has been made toward the first large-scale, universal quantum computer. However, there are still many problems to solve, like creating a method to store quantum information for extended periods of time.
Now, scientists have discovered a material that might be up to the task. The challenge in this type of storage is preserving the quantum state of individual atoms, and a new study suggests that copper iridate – a compound of copper, iridium, and oxygen – might have the atomic geometry required to fulfill this role.
“Copper iridate has a honeycomb geometry, just like the honeycomb in nature but made of atoms,” researcher Fazel Tafti told Inverse. “Due to these particular geometries, the spins of electrons never freeze. They keep jiggling around without ever being able to freeze and form a magnet, which is the natural tendency of the material. This phenomenon is called ‘magnetic frustration.’”
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