A team of scientists in China has discovered a new rare-earth alloy that is so cold and efficient it could drastically shake up the global race for quantum computing supremacy.
To function properly, quantum processors must be kept at temperatures near absolute zero (around 10-15 millikelvin). Researchers currently rely on helium-3 for quantum computing cooling systems.
Now, the new rare-earth alloy, called EuCo2Al9 (ECA), could end this decades-long reliance. Ultimately, this could lead to much smaller, more portable refrigerators for superconducting quantum computers.
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