Quantum computers finally get an upgrade: this chip promises a game-changing breakthrough - Futura, le média qui explore le monde

Home News Quantum computers finally get an upgrade: this chip promises a game-changing breakthrough Quantum computers finally get an upgrade: this chip promises a game-changing breakthrough Category : Technology September 9, 2026 3 min A neuromorphic chip developed by researchers at the University of Hong Kong could accelerate the development of quantum computing. ©AP with ChatGPT AI Share facebook twitter linkedin newsletter Futura Team Pia Gray The biggest barrier to scaling up quantum computers might come down to a giant mess of wires. Quantum processors only work near absolute zero, inside sealed dilution refrigerators. As their control systems generate heat, engineers have to keep that hardware completely out of the cold zone. The result is a tangled bundle of cables that grows more crowded and impractical with every qbit added to the system. To solve the problem, researchers at the University of Hong Kong looked where everyone else had stopped. They found a fix by exploiting the unique carrier dynamics inside everyday silicon carbide transistors. Led by Professor Yuhao Zhang and PhD student Xin Yang, the team designed a microchip that operates directly at 10 millikelvin—a fraction of a degree above absolute zero. Instead of running on continuous electrical signals that bleed steady heat into the system, the chip fires energy-efficient pulses that mirror how biological neurons transmit data. How a single transistor mimics a neuron To make the chip run cold, the HKU team focused on a silicon carbide MOSFET. This is a standard industrial transistor. When cooled below 2 kelvin, the material undergoes a physical shift called gate-controlled negative differential resistance, driven by electron-donor impact ionization. At these ultracold temperatures, trapped electrons break free in predictable bursts when an electric field is applied. By carefully tuning the voltage across a single transistor, the researchers coaxed it into producing discrete, spiking electrical signals. By processing instructions in short, precise bursts rather than a continuous stream, the circuit consumes far less power and releases almost no waste heat. Bringing control hardware to the qubits Slashing the heat footprint changes the entire physical layout of a quantum computer. Because the hardware stays cool, control circuits can sit directly alongside qubits in the deepest part of the refrigerator. Shortening that physical distance eliminates meters of cabling, which slashes mechanical complexity, drops background electrical noise, and dramatically simplifies the build of larger quantum rigs. Instead of routing hundreds of individual coaxial lines through complex cooling zones, engineers could run a small handful of high-density cables into a local control module. Silicon carbide also resists high radiation and thermal stress. Beyond quantum hardware, the HKU team points to unheated deep-space probes as another application where instruments must run for years in absolute cold. What still needs to be tested While the team demonstrated working transistor physics at 10 millikelvin, the chip is not yet connected to live qubits inside a working quantum computer. The design provides a clear path past the industry’s wiring problem, but key practical questions remain open. Generating While the team demonstrated working transistor physics at 10 millikelvin, the chip is not yet connected to live qubits inside a working quantum computer. The design provides a clear path past the industry’s wiring problem, but key practical questions remain open. Generating neuromorphic pulses is only the first step. Engineers must now prove that these brain-inspired signals can execute precise quantum logic operations without disturbing delicate superposition states. Future research will show if these circuits can hold up as quantum processors scale toward commercial size. Source: Yang, X., Porter, M., Qin, Y., et al. “Cryogenic neuromorphic circuits using gate-controlled negative differential resistance in silicon carbide.” Nature Communications. 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