Quantum computing research led by Fatima Toor, Lowell G. Battershell Chair in Laser Engineering, is bringing next-generation computing closer to reality.
Quantum computing allows the tackling of complex calculations — numerous possibilities at once — that are beyond the reach of traditional computer processors, such as those found in laptops and smartphones.
“The building blocks of quantum computers are qubits,” said Toor, professor of electrical and computer engineering and faculty affiliate of the Iowa Technology Institute. “These qubits are typically based on superconducting materials that operate best at really low temperatures — liquid helium (He) temperatures — in a dilution refrigerator.”
Even a small energy disruption caused by stray infrared light can leak heat into the refrigerator, adding significant noise to qubit operations and their response times, Toor said.
Supported by a $1 million grant from the Department of Energy’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, or EPSCoR, Toor is investigating metamaterial coatings that can adhere to multiple layers inside the dilution refrigerator to minimize IR photon leakage and potentially increase the coherence times of qubit operations.