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Un Refrigerador Ultrafrío: Clave para el Futuro de las Computadoras Cuánticas

Unknown computers, quantum computing, quantum mechanics, refrigeration, technology

<img data-document-id="cms/api/amp/image/AA1Bwv3N" data-reference="image" src="https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AA1Bwv3N.jpg"/>
<p>
 Un equipo de científicos ha logrado
 <strong>
  crear un refrigerador con temperatura récord
 </strong>
 ¿Qué podría asistir en el funcionamiento de las computadoras?
 <strong>
  cuánticos
 </strong>
 a operar con mayor eficacia. Las qubits, componentes básicos en las computadoras cuánticas, necesitan estar a temperaturas muy próximas al cero absoluto para evitar fallos en su funcionamiento.
</p>
<p>
 Una
 <strong>
  nueva tecnología de refrigeración
 </strong>
 Desarrollado por científicos de la Universidad Tecnológica de Chalmers en Suecia y la Universidad de Maryland en Estados Unidos, este avance podría aproximarnos más hacia la consecución de esto.
 <strong>
  toda la capacidad de la computación cuántica
 </strong>
 .
</p>
<p>
 Los sistemas de enfriamiento actuales conocidos como refrigeradores de dilución logran bajar los qubits aproximadamente a 50 milikelvin sobre el cero absoluto, tal y como indica la Universidad Tecnológica de Chalmers. Durante una prueba reciente, un nuevo tipo de refrigerador cuántico redujo las temperaturas de estos qubits hasta alcanzar solo 22 milikelvin, lo que representa un importante avance.
 <strong>
  10.000 veces más helado que la temperatura ambiental
 </strong>
 , de acuerdo con el equipo investigador.
</p>
<p>
 A medida que se acerca al cero absoluto o cero Kelvin, que es equivalente a
 <strong>
  menos 273,15 grados Celsius
 </strong>
 , mayor confiabilidad podría ofrecer la computación cuántica, aunque simultáneamente resulta más complicado llegar al cero absoluto conforme
 baja la temperatura
 .
</p>
<h2>
 El refrigerador es "completamente independiente".
</h2>
<p>
 Si consideramos qué significa físicamente la temperatura, nos referimos a vibraciones fundamentales. Se podría imaginar tomar un objeto que vibra intensamente y trasladarlo a un estado donde vaya disminuyendo su vibración gradualmente hasta alcanzar una posición prácticamente estable, siguiendo las reglas de la termodinámica.
 mecánica
 Cuántica. Y una vez que está totalmente en reposo,
 <strong>
  Esto sería considerado como el cero absoluto.
 </strong>
 Explica a 'Euronews Next' Simone Gasparinetti, profesor adjunto en la Universidad Tecnológica de Chalmers y el autor principal del estudio,
</p>
<p>
 El grupo logró reducir estas vibraciones hasta ser 10.000 veces más pequeñas, lo cual, según sus declaraciones, representaba una mejora significativa.
 <strong>
  "mínimo histórico"
 </strong>
 Para los moldes mencionados, a diferencia de los sistemas de enfriamiento por dilución que necesitan un control externo continuo, este refrigerador cuántico se activa por sí mismo tras ser instalado.
</p>
<div class="widget widget--type-quotation widget--size-xlarge widget--align-center">
 <div class="widget__wrapper">
  <div class="widget__content">
   <blockquote class="widget__quote">
    <span>
     El refrigerador es completamente independiente, lo que implica que solo requiere conectarse a una fuente de calor y frío para operar.
    </span>
   </blockquote>
   <div class="widget__authorText">
    Simone Gasparinetti
   </div>
   <div class="widget__author_descriptionText">
    Profesor adjunto en la Universidad Tecnológica de Chalmers y líder principal del estudio
   </div>
  </div>
 </div>
</div>
<p>
 El refrigerador utiliza tres
 <strong>
  qubits
 </strong>
 Y opera mediante un sistema donde ambientes calurosos y fríos interaccionan de forma particular para remover el calor desde un qubit específico, la sección del computador cuántico que requiere enfriamiento.
</p>
<p>
 La energía proveniente del entorno térmico se dirige a través de uno de los dos qubits en el refrigerador cuántico,
 <strong>
  inyecta calor desde el qubit objetivo hacia el segundo qubit
 </strong>
 Explica en un comunicado Nicole Yunger Halpern, professora adjunta de Física na Universidade de Maryland: 'Se trata do refrigerador cuántico, que permanece fresco'. Añade Yunger: 'Este qubit fresco se equilibra térmicamente en este ambiente frío y eventualmente libera el calor proveniente del qubit objetivo'.
</p>
<p>
 Gasparinetti aclara que "
 <strong>
  El refrigerador está completamente independiente.
 </strong>
 Significa, fundamentalmente, que solo requiere conectarse a una fuente calientey otra fríapara operar. Esto destaca entre otras técnicas que necesitarían, por ejemplo, pulsos sincronizados con exactitud u otros métodos de control”, y agrega que “basicamente, se activa, los qubits se enfriany luego se desactivay empieza el cómputo”.
</p>
<h2>
 Aplicar los principios de la termodinámica de la teoría al ámbito práctico.
</h2>
<p>
 La termodinámica cuántica, que fusiona la
 <strong>
  física
 </strong>
 La intersección entre la mecánica cuántica y la termodinámica es un área que hasta ahora ha sido principalmente teórica, según indican los científicos. "Durante los pasados 50 años, hemos reducido al mínimo muchos elementos, especialmente aquellos con funciones eléctricas, aunque no todos", comenta Gasparinetti y agrega: "Realmente deseábamos crear una máquina cuántica, una máquina térmica, que tuviera aplicaciones prácticas".
</p>
<p>
 Los investigadores afirman que
 <strong>
  Este refrigerador permite que los qubits operen con muchas menos fallas.
 </strong>
 e incluso por períodos más largos en las computadoras cuánticas. El grupo
 <strong>
  logró disminuir en 20 ocasiones la tasa de error en la computación cuántica
 </strong>
 , del 0,02 al 0,01. Aunque pueda parecer insignificante, los científicos aseguran que reducir estos errores es crucial para mantener la precisión y confiabilidad de las operaciones en computación cuántica.
</p>
<h2>
 Los computadores cuánticos no remplazarán a los tradicionales.
</h2>
<p>
 Los ordenadores cuánticos pueden
 <strong>
  revolucionar tecnologías
 </strong>
 Clave en diferentes áreas sociales, con usos en campos como la medicina, la energía, el cifrado, la inteligencia artificial y la logística. No obstante, los científicos destacan que es necesario continuar desarrollando esta tecnología para que pueda abordar eficazmente diversas problemáticas.
</p>
<p>
 "Estas máquinas tienen que
 <strong>
  mejorarse en numerosas áreas antes de resultar útiles
 </strong>
 Y además debemos trabajar en desarrollar métodos efectivos para usar los recursos disponibles. Aún no hemos logrado comprender completamente cómo sacar provecho de los recursos cuánticos con el fin de realizar cálculos valiosos y abordar problemas significativos", comenta Gasparinetti.
</p>
<p>
 El investigador principal del estudio también menciona que hay una
 <strong>
  concepto incorrecto de que las computadoras cuánticas remplazarán a las tradicionales
 </strong>
 , al igual que nuestros portátiles. Más bien se refiere a
 un avance tecnológico que perfeccionará las computadoras
 Clásicos que se utilizan para abordar problemas muy específicos, tales como aquellos vinculados a la logística o al desarrollo de medicamentos, y aún requerimos computadoras tradicionales para operar una computadora cuántica, mencionó.
</p>
<p>
 Los experimentos como el que realizamos muestran la posibilidad de lograr mayor funcionalidad cercana a los componentes cuánticos, y considero esto un camino que seguiremos viendo expandirse en el futuro," explica Gasparinetti. Los científicos anticipan el desarrollo de futuras máquinas cuánticas más independientes.
 <strong>
  Pregunta siguiente: ¿Qué otras problemáticas se podrían resolver de manera independiente?
 </strong>
 , señala el investigador principal del estudio.
</p>

Un Refrigerador Ultrafrío: Clave para el Futuro de las Computadoras Cuánticas

Unknown computers, quantum computing, quantum mechanics, refrigeration, technology

Un equipo de científicos ha logrado crear un refrigerador con temperatura récord ¿Qué podría asistir en el funcionamiento de las computadoras? cuánticos a operar con mayor eficacia. La…

Scientists develop record cold refrigerator that could unlock full potential of quantum computers

Unknown computers, quantum computing, quantum mechanics, refrigeration, technology

<img data-document-id="cms/api/amp/image/AA1BiWL3" data-reference="image" src="https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AA1BiWL3.jpg"/>
<p>
 Researchers have successfully developed a record cold refrigerator that could help quantum computers work better.
</p>
<p>
 Qubits, the fundamental units of quantum computers, must be kept at temperatures close to absolute zero to function without errors.
</p>
<p>
 A new cooling technology developed by researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden and the University of Maryland in the United States may bring us closer to realising the full potential of quantum computing.
</p>
<img data-document-id="cms/api/amp/video/AA1BiZab" data-reference="video"/>
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  </li>
 </ul>
</div>
<p>
 The cooling systems used today, called dilution refrigerators, bring the qubits to about 50 millikelvins above absolute zero, according to the Chalmers University of Technology.
</p>
<p>
 In an experiment, a new quantum refrigerator brought the qubits to 22 millikelvins, a factor 10,000 times colder than the room temperature, according to the research team.
</p>
<p>
 The closer to absolute zero or zero Kelvin, which is equivalent to minus 273.15 degrees Celsius, the more reliable quantum computation can be.
</p>
<p>
 But it also becomes harder to reach absolute zero as the temperature gets lower.
</p>
<h2>
 Fridge is 'fully autonomous'
</h2>
<p>
 "If you think of what temperature is physically, it's just about essential vibrations. And you can think of bringing an object that vibrates a lot down to a state in which it vibrates less and less until it stays as still as it can be according to the laws of quantum mechanics. And when it's completely still, this is what you would call absolute zero," Simone Gasparinetti, an associate professor at Chalmers University of Technology and lead author of the study, told Euronews Next.
</p>
<p>
 The team managed to make these vibrations 10,000 times smaller, which they said was a "record low" for the particular moulds.
</p>
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<p>
 Unlike dilution refrigerator systems that require constant external control, this quantum refrigerator operates on its own once it is set up.
</p>
<p>
 The refrigerator uses three qubits and operates based on a system where warm and cold environments interact in a specific way to remove heat from a target qubit, the part of the quantum computer that needs to be cooled.
</p>
<p>
 "Energy from the thermal environment, channeled through one of the quantum refrigerator’s two qubits, pumps heat from the target qubit into the quantum refrigerator’s second qubit, which is cold," Nicole Yunger Halpern, an assistant professor of physics at the University of Maryland, said in a statement.
</p>
<p>
 "That cold qubit is thermalised to a cold environment, into which the target qubit’s heat is ultimately dumped".
</p>
<p>
 Gasparinetti added: "The refrigerator is fully autonomous, which means, essentially, it only requires coupling to a hot and cold source to function. This is something that is in contrast to other techniques that would require, for example, precisely timed pulses or other forms of control".
</p>
<p>
 "So essentially, you switch it on, and the qubits get cold, and then you can switch it off and start your computation," he said.
</p>
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<h2>
 Bringing thermodynamics from theory to practice
</h2>
<p>
 Quantum thermodynamics, which combines quantum physics and thermodynamics, is a field that has been largely theoretical so far, according to researchers.
</p>
<p>
 "In the last 50 years, we have miniaturised lots of components, especially, but not all electrical components," Gasparinetti said.
</p>
<p>
 "We really had the desire to build a quantum machine, a thermal machine, that was useful," he added.
</p>
<p>
 Researchers say this refrigerator helps qubits work with far fewer errors and for longer periods in quantum computers.
</p>
<p>
 The team managed to reduce the error rate of quantum computing by 20-fold from the error rate of 0.02 to 0.01.
</p>
<p>
 This may seem small, but researchers say it’s important to minimise errors to ensure reliable calculations in quantum computing.
</p>
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 </ul>
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<h2>
 More work needs to be done
</h2>
<p>
 Quantum computers have the potential to revolutionise fundamental technologies in various sectors of society, with applications in medicine, energy, encryption, AI, and logistics.
</p>
<p>
 However, researchers say more work needs to be done so that quantum computers can solve problems.
</p>
<p>
 "These machines have to get better at many things before they are useful. And we also have to get better at finding ways to use these resources that we have. We have still not fully understood how to harness quantum resources to make useful computations and solve useful problems," Gasparinetti said.
</p>
<p>
 Gasparinetti also says there’s a widespread misconception that quantum computers will replace classical computers like our laptops.
</p>
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<p>
 It's a technology that will instead enhance the classical computers to solve very specific problems, such as those related to logistics or drug discovery, and we still need classical computers to operate a quantum computer, he said.
</p>
<p>
 "Experiments like the one we did actually show that you can have more functionality very close to the quantum components, which I think is a trend that we will see more of in the future," Gasparinetti said.
</p>
<p>
 Researchers hope more quantum autonomous machines can be developed.
</p>
<p>
 "The next question is what other problems could be solved autonomously?"
</p>
<p>
 <strong>
  For more on this story, watch the video in the media player above.
 </strong>
</p>

Scientists develop record cold refrigerator that could unlock full potential of quantum computers

Unknown computers, quantum computing, quantum mechanics, refrigeration, technology

Researchers have successfully developed a record cold refrigerator that could help quantum computers work better. Qubits, the fundamental units of quantum computers, must be kept at temperatures cl…

Scientists Unveil the Mind-Blowing Phenomenon of 'Second Sound'

Unknown audio, music, physics, quantum mechanics, science

<ul>
 <li>
  Typically, when an object heats up, the warmth spreads outwards and gradually disperses. However, this conventional behavior doesn’t apply in the case of superfluid quantum gases.
 </li>
 <li>
  For the first time, researchers from MIT have managed to capture images of how heat moves in a wave form, referred to as "second sound," through this unusual liquid.
 </li>
 <li>
  Grasping this interaction might aid in solving mysteries surrounding high-temperature superconductors and neutron stars.
 </li>
</ul>
<p>
 In the realm of ordinary, day-to-day substances, heat generally disperses from a specific origin point. Toss a glowing ember into a container of water, and that
 liquid
 will gradually increase in temperature before its warmth ultimately fades away. However, the world is home to numerous unusual, luxurious substances that do not
 exactly
 follow these thermal guidelines.
</p>
<p>
 Rather than dispersing as anticipated, these superfluid quantum gases exhibit "side-to-side heat sloshing"—it basically spreads this way.
 wave
 Scientists refer to this behavior as a material’s "second sound" (with the first being conventional sound through a density wave). Despite having been previously detected, this effect had not yet been visualized. However, researchers from MIT have now managed to document the flow of pure heat by pioneering an advanced technique known as thermography (or heat mapping).
</p>
<p>
 The findings of this research were released
 in the journal
 Science
 , and in an
 university press release
 emphasizing the accomplishment, MIT Assistant Professor and co-author Richard Fletcher extended the boiling pot metaphor to illustrate the intrinsic peculiarity of "second
 sound
 within these exotic superfluids.
</p>
<img data-document-id="cms/api/amp/image/AA1AwjqY" data-reference="image" src="https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AA1AwjqY.jpg"/>
<p>
 It's like you have a tank of
 water
 And heated up one half almost to boiling," Fletcher explained. "Once you observed it, the water appeared completely peaceful, but abruptly the opposite side would become scorching hot, and then switch back again, with the heat moving back and forth, even as the surface of the water remained utterly still.
</p>
<p>
 These superfluids form when a group of atoms is exposed to extremely low temperatures nearing
 absolute zero
 (-459.67 °F). At this extreme temperature, atomic behavior changes significantly, resulting in a nearly frictionless fluid. This state allows for the theoretical propagation of heat similar to how waves travel.
</p>
<p>
 Second sound is characteristic of superfluidity; however, in ultracold gases up until now, it has only been observable as a subtle fluctuation in density.
 ripples
 As stated by lead author Martin Zwierlein in a press release, "These findings provide additional support for our understanding." He further noted, "We were unable to confirm the nature of the heatwave prior to this study."
</p>
<p>
 To ultimately capture this second sound in action, Zweierlein and his team needed to look beyond the conventional thermal box since tracking the heat from an ultracold object poses a significant challenge; these objects do not produce typical infrared radiation. Therefore, MIT researchers developed a method using radio frequencies to monitor specific subatomic particles called "lithium-6 fermions," which can be detected through alternative means.
 frequencies
 In connection with their temperature (that is, higher temperatures correspond to higher frequencies, and lower temperatures to lower frequencies). This innovative method enabled the scientists to focus precisely on the "warmer" frequencies (even though they remained quite cool) and monitor the subsequent second wave as it progressed over time.
</p>
<p>
 It could seem like a significant "who cares?" After all, when was the last time you experienced something similar to a superfluid?
 quantum
 Sure? However, pose this question to a materials scientist or an astronomer, and you'll receive quite a distinct response.
</p>
<p>
 Although exotic superfluids might not dominate our daily experiences (just yet), comprehending the characteristics of second-sound propagation could aid in answering queries about high-temperature scenarios.
 superconductors
 (again, still at
 very
 low temperatures) or the complex physics that lie at the core of
 neutron stars
 .
</p>
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Scientists Unveil the Mind-Blowing Phenomenon of 'Second Sound'

Unknown audio, music, physics, quantum mechanics, science

Typically, when an object heats up, the warmth spreads outwards and gradually disperses. However, this conventional behavior doesn’t apply in the case of superfluid quantum gases. For the f…