Scientists realize a three-qubit quantum register in a silicon photonic chip

Researchers achieved a breakthrough by demonstrating a three-qubit quantum register on a silicon photonic chip, marking a critical step toward scalable quantum computing hardware. The experiment, conducted in early 2026, leverages silicon photonics—a mature, industry-compatible platform—to encode and entangle qubits using light, reducing decoherence risks compared to other qubit types. This advancement addresses a key challenge in quantum computing: scaling qubit systems while maintaining stability, as silicon photonics enables integration with existing semiconductor infrastructure. The three-qubit register supports fundamental quantum operations like superposition and entanglement, essential for error correction and complex algorithms in future quantum processors. This milestone could accelerate commercial quantum computing by merging photonic qubits with silicon fabrication, potentially lowering costs and improving scalability for real-world applications.