You probably think something being defective makes it worse. Surprisingly, in the quantum world, defects in materials can be used as robust quantum bits, or qubits, that could fundamentally change the way we process, store, and distribute information. While undesirable in traditional semiconductor devices, lattice imperfections—including vacancies and impurities such as unwanted dopants—are now being harnessed for their unique quantum properties. In fact, they are leading candidates for developing potent quantum technologies, such as unlocking magnetic imaging at the nanoscale; for enabling a new internet of powerful quantum computers; and for creating unhackable communications secured by the fundamental laws of physics.
The irony that material imperfections are potentially ideal qubit candidates is not lost on the scientific community. For more than 50 years, the electronics industry has spent countless hours and resources trying to eliminate defects. They can affect the performance of everyday technologies like the processor chips in your computer and the integrated circuits making your car safe—potentially causing them to malfunction. Now those very same defects are being deliberately introduced into materials to create qubits with state-of-the-art quantum properties.
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