Scientists develop quantum metamaterial from complex twin qubits

An international team consisting of Russian and German scientists has made a breakthrough in the creation of seemingly impossible materials. They have created the world's first quantum metamaterial that can be used as a control element in superconducting electrical circuits.

Metamaterials are substances whose properties are determined by the structural arrangement of the atoms. Each structure is hundredsofnanometers, and has its own set of properties that disappear when scientists try to separate the material into its components. Such a structure is called a meta-atom (not to be confused with the common atoms of Mendeleev's Periodic Table). Any substance consisting of meta-atoms is called a meta-material.

Until recently, another difference between atoms and meta-atoms was that the properties of conventional atoms were described by quantum mechanics equations, while meta-atoms were described by classical physics equations. However, the creation of qubits led to the opportunity to construct metamaterials consisting of meta-atoms whose state could be described quantum mechanically. However, this research required the creation of unusual qubits.

An international team of scientists has created the world's first so-called "twin" qubit, as well as a metamaterial on its basis. Thanks to the outstanding properties of the new material, it will be possible to create one of the key elements in superconducting electronic devices.