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Chinese scientists have achieved a novel quantum state on a 125-qubit superconducting quantum chip— a new type of “thermal” topological edge state, which addresses the challenge of thermal noise interference in symmetry-protected topological edge states, providing new possibilities for protecting fragile quantum information.
This research was conducted by a team led by Professor Wang Haohua from the School of Physics at Zhejiang University, in collaboration with Researcher Guo Qiujing from the Zhejiang University Hangzhou International Science and Technology Innovation Center, and Associate Professor Deng Dongling from Tsinghua University’s Institute for Interdisciplinary Information Sciences. The results were published in the journal Nature on August 27.
Topological edge states refer to stable quantum states that are bound to the edges of a quantum system and can resist specific symmetry perturbations. These states are easily disturbed by thermal noise and typically only exist in ideal environments at absolute zero.
In a closed system of multiple particles, the initial state of the system carries certain local information, which, over time, spreads to all particles under the influence of thermal excitation, similar to a page of notes that has been scribbled over, making the original writing indistinguishable.
The research is based on the “Tianmu No. 2” superconducting quantum chip independently developed by Zhejiang University. This chip features 125 superconducting qubits and possesses flexible programmability, enabling high-precision synchronous quantum logic operations. Using this chip, the research team explored symmetry-protected topological edge states that are difficult to observe with traditional methods.
The research team proposed a theoretical concept of a “preheating” mechanism, attempting to equip the symmetry-protected topological edge states with a “shield” to suppress their interaction with thermal excitations. After conducting quantum simulation experiments on the “Tianmu No. 2” superconducting quantum chip, the research team observed the effectiveness of the “preheating” mechanism, indicating the birth of the new “thermal” topological edge state.
Researcher Guo Qiujing stated that this experiment demonstrates that the “preheating” mechanism can effectively resist thermal excitation disturbances, forming more robust long-lived topological edge states. This provides new experimental means for exploring topological states at finite temperatures (i.e., above absolute zero), showcasing the application value of superconducting quantum chips in simulating novel states, and offering new pathways for constructing quantum storage that is resistant to noise at finite temperatures.
Source: Xinhua News Agency
