Graphene and indium selenide 2D device from the LANES laboratory. Credit: Alain Herzog/EPFL
In the field of quantum computing, a groundbreaking 2D device made of graphene and indium selenide has emerged as a potential solution to the cooling challenges faced by quantum systems. Developed by researchers at EPFL, this innovative device operates efficiently at the ultra-low temperatures required for quantum systems, offering a promising avenue to advance quantum technology. By exploiting the Nernst effect and using lasers as a heat source, the device has the potential to revolutionize cooling systems for quantum computing. What challenges do quantum computers face in terms of cooling? What have researchers demonstrated, and how could integrating this device into existing quantum circuits improve the performance of quantum computers in real-world applications?
Important things to know:
The EPFL team’s innovative 2D device is made of graphene and indium selenide, which efficiently converts heat into electricity to address the challenge of cooling quantum systems. The device exploits the Nernst effect, enabling precise electrical modulation to improve the performance and scalability of quantum computing technologies. This breakthrough in materials science shows the potential for significant cost efficiencies and energy savings by keeping quantum systems at ultra-low temperatures. The integration of this device will transform the thermal management of quantum circuits, paving the way for advanced, scalable quantum computing solutions.
Temperature Barriers in Quantum Computing Technology
The transformative power of quantum computing is gaining momentum as the world grapples with the complexities of artificial intelligence and data processing. By leveraging the unique properties of quantum systems, quantum computers can process complex algorithms and calculations with unprecedented speed and efficiency, outperforming classical computing systems. However, the quantum computing industry faces a major obstacle in realizing the full potential of these systems: maintaining the quantum state at extremely low temperatures.
The heart of a quantum computer is a qubit, a quantum version of a classical bit. Unlike classical bits, qubits exploit the quantum property of superposition and can exist in multiple states simultaneously. However, this fragile nature of quantum states means that qubits are prone to collapse, making temperature control a major concern. Even a slight increase in temperature can upset the delicate balance of the quantum state, leading to loss of information and reduced system performance. Maintaining temperatures in the milli-Kelvin range is therefore crucial for quantum computers to operate effectively.
Cryogenic cooling methods, which primarily rely on liquid helium and nitrogen, dominate quantum cooling. These fluids can be used to cool certain materials to near absolute zero, making them ideal for current quantum computing applications. However, inefficiencies associated with heat transfer from qubits to the cooling medium and limitations of current cooling techniques pose significant barriers to the advancement of quantum computing technology. The integration of cryogenic cooling systems with quantum circuits also poses significant challenges, including the need for specialized infrastructure and reduced scalability for large systems. Thus, reliance on liquid coolants limits the practical implementation of quantum computers and hinders the potential for real-world applications.
Temperature control challenges also impact the scalability and commercialization of quantum computing systems. The complexity and cost of maintaining quantum states at low temperatures limits the scalability of current quantum computing technologies, making large-scale systems difficult to implement. To overcome these challenges, the integration of on-chip cooling solutions is essential, but the engineering complexity to achieve this represents a major hurdle in the development of practical quantum computers. Thus, the temperature barrier represents a major obstacle to the widespread adoption and commercialization of quantum computing technology.
Quantum Cooling Technology for Efficient and Scalable Quantum Computers
To address the problem of quantum cooling, a team of researchers from EPFL’s Laboratory for Nanoscale Electronics and Structures (LANES) recently developed an innovative 2D device combining graphene and indium selenium to efficiently harness heat from quantum systems. This innovative solution exploits the Nernst effect – a phenomenon in which a temperature difference between two points in a material results in a voltage difference – and manipulates this effect to convert heat into electricity with high efficiency.
3D view of the device with the indium selenium channel (purple), graphene electrodes (horizontal bands) and laser beam (red) © LANES EPFL
In a study recently published in Nature Nanotechnology, EPFL engineers have demonstrated that they can integrate graphene and indium selenide heterostructures to achieve record-breaking Nernst coefficients at cryogenic temperatures. This major advance in materials science highlights the potential for fine-tuning the Nernst effect to achieve optimal performance in quantum cooling applications.
Gabriele Pasquale with a dilution refrigerator at the LANES lab © Alan Herzog
Material properties and their effects
“The selection of graphene and indium selenide as the device’s primary materials is critical to realizing this efficient cooling technology. Graphene’s excellent electrical conductivity allows for fast and efficient electron transport, while indium selenide’s semiconducting properties allow for control over the efficiency of the Nernst effect. This strategic combination improves the device’s ability to convert heat into electricity, leading to advances in quantum computing technology.”
“The combination of graphene’s high electron mobility and indium selenide’s low resistivity allows the device to operate efficiently at temperatures colder than those found in space,” the researchers say. This discovery could revolutionize thermal management of quantum circuits, making it possible to maintain the necessary low temperatures without the inefficiencies of current methods.
Electrical modulation of the Nernst effect
The researchers also exploited the ability to electrically tune the efficiency of the Nernst effect, a key feature of 2D devices. This electrical tuning allows precise control over the conversion of heat to electricity, improving the efficiency of the device and potentially scalable to larger devices. The team’s breakthrough in manipulating the Nernst effect could lead to new cooling strategies for future quantum computing systems, pushing the limits of quantum computing technology into new realms.
Additionally, the device is electrically tunable, offering a flexible approach to thermal management in quantum systems. This tunability enables the development of bespoke cooling solutions tailored to specific quantum applications, further enhancing the practical implementation of quantum technologies in real-world scenarios.
Additionally, this breakthrough in quantum cooling technology has the potential to significantly reduce the operational costs and energy required to maintain quantum systems at millikelvin temperatures. This cost efficiency could accelerate the adoption of quantum computing technology across sectors and expand the impact of quantum solutions on industries worldwide.
Long-term effects
This discovery has huge implications in both the short and long term. By maintaining quantum states more efficiently at ultra-low temperatures, the researchers pave the way for advances in quantum computers. The scalability of these devices could lead to widespread adoption of quantum computing across industries, from materials science to medicine, and open up new possibilities for complex algorithms in quantum systems.
Notably, the EPFL team’s device exploits the optical Nernst effect, in which a temperature gradient created by laser irradiation generates a voltage. This innovative approach not only improves the efficiency of thermal management in quantum systems, but also offers a new way to integrate optical elements in quantum circuits, potentially leading to new hybrid quantum technologies.
The future of quantum cooling looks promising thanks to the EPFL team’s groundbreaking research into graphene and indium selenide devices. The strategic combination of conductive and semiconducting properties and the electrical modulation of the Nernst effect is poised to increase the heat conversion efficiency of quantum computers. As the field of quantum computing continues to evolve, these advances in cooling technology will play a key role in the quest for scalable, reliable quantum systems.
A breakthrough with the integration of graphene and indium selenide
As researchers and engineers begin to optimize this cooling technology, it is expected to enable greater scalability and efficiency in quantum computing in the future, marking a key step in unlocking the vast potential of quantum solutions.
The integration of graphene and indium selenide devices into quantum circuits could usher in a new era of quantum technology characterized by improved efficiency and performance. The combination of graphene’s electrical conductivity and indium selenide’s semiconducting properties could enable versatile applications beyond quantum computing, opening new avenues of research and innovation in materials science and medical research. The potential applications of this groundbreaking technology go beyond the realm of quantum computing, paving the way for broad impact across a variety of industries.
Future research and advancements in the field of quantum technology will likely build on the foundation laid by the integration of graphene and indium selenide devices. As researchers and engineers optimize this cooling technology, new possibilities will open up to improve the stability and performance of quantum systems, potentially making quantum computing more scalable and efficient.
The integration of 2D devices made of graphene and indium selenide into quantum circuits is a major advancement in quantum technology, enabling quantum systems to be efficiently cooled to millikelvin temperatures. This breakthrough will not only improve the performance and stability of quantum computing operations, but also open up new opportunities in materials science and medical research.
As researchers and engineers optimize this cooling technology, it is expected that quantum computing will become more efficient and scalable in the future, marking a key step in unlocking the vast potential of quantum solutions.
