Quantum computing is one of those futuristic ideas that sounds like it belongs in a science fiction novel. Instead of being powered by ordinary bits — the 1s and 0s inside your phone or laptop — quantum computers use strange rules of quantum physics to process information in ways that ordinary machines simply can’t.
Recently, a team of engineers from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Australia pulled off something remarkable: they made atoms “talk” to each other inside a silicon chip. It may sound abstract, but this breakthrough could solve one of the biggest challenges in building quantum computers.
So how exactly do atoms “chat”? Why does it matter? And what does it mean for the future of computers? Let’s break it down step by step.
Quantum Entanglement: The Secret Sauce
At the heart of this achievement is something called quantum entanglement. This concept might sound intimidating, but here’s a friendly way to picture it:
Imagine you and your best friend each flip a coin in different parts of the world. Normally, the results would be independent — heads or tails, no connection. But if your coins were “entangled,” the moment your coin landed on heads, your friend’s would instantly show tails, no matter how far away they were.
This kind of deep, spooky connection happens in the quantum world, where particles such as electrons and atomic nuclei can become linked in ways that defy our everyday logic. Entanglement is one of the most powerful resources in quantum computing because it allows particles to coordinate and process information together.
In this study, the researchers entangled the spins of two phosphorus atomic nuclei. “Spin” is a quantum property that behaves like a tiny compass needle inside each nucleus, pointing in one direction or another. By controlling and linking these spins, the team created a conversation between atoms that had previously been silent.
Why Quantum Computers Need Entanglement
Classical computers — the kind we use every day — rely on bits. Each bit is either a 1 or a 0, and combinations of these bits allow computers to perform calculations.
Quantum computers, however, use qubits. Thanks to quantum rules, qubits can be 1, 0, or even both at once (this is called superposition). When qubits become entangled, they no longer behave as individuals — they act as part of a system. This means a quantum computer can perform many calculations in parallel, which is why they’re expected to tackle problems too complex for today’s machines.
But here’s the catch: for entanglement to work, qubits need to interact with one another. And while you want them close enough to “chat,” you also need them shielded from outside noise, since quantum states are extremely fragile. Too much interference, and the information disappears like mist in the sun.
This balance between isolation and communication has been one of the great headaches in quantum research.
The UNSW Approach: Spins in Silicon
The UNSW team decided to work with nuclear spins — the spins of atomic nuclei. In their case, they implanted phosphorus atoms into silicon chips. Silicon is the same material used in conventional computer chips, which makes this approach especially attractive: it’s familiar, it’s scalable, and the infrastructure already exists.
Professor Andrea Morello, who has spent 15 years pioneering this field, describes nuclear spins as “the cleanest, most isolated quantum object one can find in the solid state.” In other words, they’re incredibly stable and not easily disturbed by outside forces — perfect for storing quantum information.
In fact, Morello’s group had already shown they could keep quantum information alive inside a nucleus for more than 30 seconds. That may sound short, but in the jittery quantum world, it’s practically an eternity.
The downside? These nuclei were too isolated. They could hold onto information beautifully, but they couldn’t “talk” to each other across the chip. It was like having the world’s best singers trapped in soundproof booths — impressive individually, but unable to perform a duet.
Giving Atoms a Telephone
This is where the new breakthrough comes in. Instead of forcing multiple nuclei to squeeze together under the influence of a single electron, the team figured out how to use electrons as “telephones.”
Dr. Holly Stemp, the study’s lead author, explains it with a metaphor:
- Before: Nuclei were like people in the same soundproof room. They could chat freely, but only if they were close together, and there was a limit to how many could fit in the room.
- Now: With electrons acting as telephones, each nucleus can sit quietly in its own room but still call up another nucleus across the building.
At the atomic scale, this meant two phosphorus nuclei could interact across a distance of 20 nanometers. To us, that sounds minuscule — one-thousandth the width of a human hair. But when you scale it up, if each nucleus were the size of a person, they’d be standing as far apart as Sydney and Boston.
That’s an astonishing leap, and it happens to match the scale at which modern silicon chips are already manufactured.
Why 20 Nanometers Matters
If you’re holding a smartphone or laptop right now, the chip inside it is made up of billions of tiny transistors — switches that process information. Many of these transistors are only about 20 nanometers across, the same distance the UNSW team just used to make nuclei interact.
This is huge because it means the quantum devices they’re building aren’t some exotic, impractical setup. They fit directly into the framework of existing chip-making technology. In other words, instead of inventing a brand-new industry, researchers can ride on the back of the trillion-dollar semiconductor industry that already exists.
That compatibility is one of the key reasons why this discovery is so promising.
The Nuts and Bolts of the Experiment
To build their system, the UNSW researchers collaborated with experts worldwide.
- Phosphorus atoms were implanted into the silicon by Professor David Jamieson’s team at the University of Melbourne.
- The silicon itself was an ultra-pure slab provided by Professor Kohei Itoh at Keio University in Japan.
These partnerships highlight how international and collaborative quantum research has become. Each step, from preparing materials to implanting atoms, requires precision on a level that makes surgery look sloppy by comparison.
Once the setup was ready, the team used electrons to connect two nuclei, proving that quantum information could be shared across a scalable distance.
Scaling Up: From Two Nuclei to Millions
For a quantum computer to be useful, it can’t stop at two qubits. It needs thousands, even millions, working together seamlessly.
The UNSW approach seems tailor-made for scaling. Electrons are relatively easy to move around and manipulate, meaning they can act as flexible “connectors” between nuclei. In the future, researchers could use more electrons and even shape them into elongated forms, spreading their reach further to link more nuclei across the chip.
Professor Morello describes electrons as objects you can “massage into shape.” That means you can fine-tune their positions, switch their connections on and off, and orchestrate interactions like a conductor guiding a symphony.
Why Quantum Computers Matter
At this point, you might be wondering: what’s the big deal? Why are scientists so obsessed with building quantum computers in the first place?
- Drug discovery: Quantum computers could simulate molecules and proteins with astonishing accuracy, speeding up the development of new medicines.
- Climate modeling: Complex weather and climate systems involve calculations far beyond current supercomputers. Quantum power could make these models more precise.
- Cryptography: Today’s encryption methods rely on the difficulty of certain mathematical problems. Quantum computers could crack many of them — but also create unbreakable new ones.
- Logistics and optimization: From airline schedules to global shipping routes, quantum computing could help solve puzzles with millions of variables more efficiently.
In short, quantum computers aren’t just faster laptops. They’re a whole new class of machines designed to tackle problems that classical computers simply can’t handle.
Featured image: Freepik.
Friendly Note: FreeJupiter.com shares general information for curious minds. Please fact-check all claims and double-check health info with a qualified professional. 🌱
