A refrigerator that can autonomously cool superconducting qubits

5G Technology / By

Revolutionizing industries such as healthcare, energy safe-keepers, emerging technologies, and logistic systems, quantum computing holds immense potential. The technology relies on qubits as its main apparatus, but the challenge of cooling these qubits to near absolute zero has hindered the development of practical quantum computers.

Researchers from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden and the University of Maryland in the USA have achieved a significant breakthrough. They have developed a new type of refrigerator capable of autonomously cooling superconducting qubits to unprecedented low temperatures.

Maintaining qubits at ultra-cold temperatures near absolute zero (-273.15°C or 0 Kelvin) is crucial for the smooth operation of quantum computers. Existing cooling systems, like dilution refrigerators, can only cool qubits to around 50 millikelvins, just above absolute zero. However, the newly developed quantum refrigerator has successfully cooled superconducting qubits to a historical low of 22 millikelvin, enhancing the overall performance of quantum computers.

working principle of the quantum refrigerator
The image illustrates the working principle of the quantum refrigerator. The device, composed of two qubits – one hot and one cold – cools a third, target qubit. Powered by heat from a nearby hot environment, the quantum refrigerator extracts thermal energy from the target qubit autonomously and dumps it to a cold environment. As a result, the target qubit reaches a high-quality ground state with minimal error, primed for efficient quantum computation. The device was fabricated in the nanofabrication lab Myfab at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden.

The quantum refrigerator operates based on interactions between a superconducting qubit and a thermal environment. It absorbs energy from the environment to run the refrigerator, transferring energy to the cold qubit, which then releases heat to a cold climate. This autonomous refrigeration process does not require external control after initiation.

Lead author Aamir Ali explained, “The refrigerator is powered by heat from the environment and utilizes quantum interactions to cool the target qubit. This approach increases the qubit’s probability of being in its ground state before computation to an impressive 99.97%, significantly surpassing previous techniques.” This enhancement in performance can lead to more efficient quantum computations over multiple iterations.

This breakthrough in cooling technology paves the way for the reliability and scalability of quantum computers, bringing us closer to the day when these advanced systems can be applied in real-world scenarios. It also sets the stage for the development of more powerful and efficient technologies.

As quantum computing progresses, this innovative refrigerator could become a critical component in achieving error-free quantum computation, with profound implications for industries globally.

Journal Reference:

  1. Aamir, M.A., Jamet Suria, P., Marín Guzmán, J.A. et al. A thermally driven quantum refrigerator autonomously resets a superconducting qubit. Nat. Phys. (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41567-024-02708-5

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