China team builds first silicon chip for future fault-tolerant quantum computing - South China Morning Post
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AdvertisementScienceChinaScienceChina team builds first silicon chip with elements for fault-tolerant quantum computingStudy found the device was able to carry out a full set of error-detecting logical operations, according to Shenzhen researchers2-MIN READ2-MIN0ListenMake SCMP preferred on GoogleAdvertisementFurther ReadingUnbreakable encryption on the cards thanks to this Chinese team’s discoveryHuawei capitalises on OpenClaw frenzy to boost computing demand for its chipsDrone warfare transformed? How China’s new invention could change the gameAdvertisementAdvertisementLing Xinin OhioPublished: 12:59pm, 27 Mar 2026Chinese researchers have shown that a silicon quantum chip can carry out a full set of error-detecting logical operations – the first time this has been done and a key step towards building reliable quantum computers.The study, published in Nature Nanotechnology on Monday, found the device could process quantum information with built-in error checks – something previously achieved in platforms like superconducting circuits but not with silicon.According to the team from the Shenzhen International Quantum Academy, the study showed that the core building blocks needed for a broadly useful error-tolerant quantum computer were “now in place in silicon” – a material used in smartphones, laptops and data centres.The researchers also used the processor to calculate the lowest-energy state of a water molecule, producing a result close to the theoretical value. They said this showed the approach was “feasible for running practical quantum algorithms”.Quantum computers are designed to solve certain problems that would overwhelm even the fastest conventional computers, such as simulating molecules or optimising complex systems.Unlike ordinary computers, which process information as 0s and 1s, quantum computers use quantum bits – or qubits – which can represent multiple possibilities at once and make some calculations far more efficiently. 05:04China creates analogue AI chip said to be 1,000 times faster than Nvidia GPUChina creates analogue AI chip said to be 1,000 times faster than Nvidia GPUView in AppREAD FULL ARTICLESo far, scientists have built prototype quantum computers using materials such as superconducting circuits, trapped ions and neutral atoms. For instance, Google is a major player in superconducting quantum computing, while in China a photonic system called Jiuzhang has drawn global attention.As the foundation of the modern chip industry, silicon is attractive because quantum machines built on it could one day be made more easily and at a larger scale.Before this study, silicon quantum devices had shown high-precision control over small numbers of qubits, but getting them to work together in a way that could check for errors had remained a major challenge.The Shenzhen team built the processor for the study by placing phosphorus atoms into silicon with atomic precision, creating a tiny device in which the quantum bits could be individually controlled. They also developed a way to reduce signal interference – a major source of error in quantum systems.Using four of those quantum bits, the researchers grouped them into two protected units for computing. The approach allowed the device to flag errors caused by stray noise or interference that would otherwise affect calculation results.According to the researchers, this is the first silicon quantum processor to show the full chain – from preparing error-checked states to carrying out the main kinds of computing steps and then using them in a real algorithm.The team said the next challenge would be to reduce interference between signals, place the atoms with greater precision, and expand the system so more quantum bits could work together on the same chip.They said the longer-term goal was to turn silicon quantum computing into a practical technology compatible with the semiconductor industry.AdvertisementLing XinFOLLOWFOLLOWLing Xin is a science journalist based in Ohio. She mainly covers physics, astronomy and space. Her writing has appeared in Science, Scientific American, MIT Technology Review and other English and Chinese outlets. She was a visiting journalist at Science magazine in Washington, and has a master's degree in journalism from Ohio University.related topicsScience | Mainland China | Shenzhen | GoogleBefore you goStart Conversationscmp pollAdvertisementDiscover MORE stories onScienceFOLLOW‘Lighthouses in space’: the Chinese jam-proof satellite network to fill GPS gaps‘Doctrine of the Mean’: how US lost a 2-decade race to China in brain implantsChina proposes a departure from impact factor to measure academic influenceAdvertisementAdvertisementSelect VoiceSelect Speed0.8x0.9x1.0x1.1x1.2x1.5x1.75x00:0000:001.