Recently, a research team at the University of Texas in the United States has successfully developed a quantum computing material that can operate stably at room temperature, exhibiting magnetic strength 100 times greater than pure iron. This groundbreaking achievement overcomes the reliance on ultra-low temperature environments, paving the way for the widespread adoption of quantum computing. Additionally, it has the potential to alleviate future material supply shortages, bringing profound changes to the field of quantum computing.
The related research, titled "Room temperature colossal superparamagnetic order in aminoferrocene–graphene molecular magnets," was published in the "Applied Physics Letters" [1].
While quantum computing technology holds the potential to solve complex problems at unprecedented speeds, it has long been hindered by a significant limitation – the need to operate at temperatures below zero degrees.
Ahmed El-Gendy, the leader of the research and a scientist at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), stated, "Current quantum computers must be maintained at -459 degrees Fahrenheit, just above absolute zero. To make quantum computers work, we cannot use them at room temperature. This means we need to cool the computers and all materials, which is very expensive."
El-Gendy and the UTEP scientists claim to have achieved a major breakthrough by creating a high-magnetic quantum computing material that can operate at standard room temperature. In their research, they developed a quantum computing material with magnetic strength 100 times greater than pure iron and can function at standard room temperature.
Magnets are an integral part of many modern applications, from smartphones to vehicles and solid-state drives, used for data storage.
Since 2019, the UTEP team has been dedicated to researching new magnetic materials suitable for quantum computing. Their research goals have profound dual significance: on one hand, they seek to achieve quantum computing at room temperature; on the other hand, they aim to break the dependence on rare-earth materials required for manufacturing crucial magnets.
El-Gendy explained, "Currently, almost all magnets rely on rare-earth materials, and the supply of these materials is increasingly scarce. If we continue like this, we will soon face a harsh reality-we cannot obtain enough of these crucial materials to manufacture magnets for various industries. Imagine the consequences of that."
After years of in-depth research, the team found that the unique combination of aminoferrocene and graphene exhibits surprising magnetic properties, a breakthrough discovery that even surprised El-Gendy himself.
This significant progress opens up possibilities for the development of room-temperature quantum computers. This new type of computer has the potential to address a variety of complex problems, from health to science, while avoiding the high costs associated with maintaining ultra-low temperatures. It also holds the promise of alleviating concerns about future shortages in the supply of crucial materials.
El-Gendy expressed, "I was initially skeptical about the magnetic properties of this material, but our experimental results clearly demonstrate its superparamagnetism. No one has previously developed such a material combination. I firmly believe that using these materials, we have the potential to build quantum computers at room temperature."
