The University of Kent and STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory have discovered LaPt3P, a rare topological superconductor with significant implications for quantum computing. This breakthrough highlights the critical role of superconductors in modern technology.
Superconductors conduct electricity without resistance below certain temperatures, making them invaluable for energy efficiency. Their ability to exhibit quantum properties at macroscopic scales makes them ideal candidates for quantum computers, which can dramatically outperform conventional supercomputers for specific applications. Major technology companies like Google, IBM, and Microsoft are actively pursuing industrial-scale quantum computing using superconductors.
A significant challenge in quantum computing is the fragility of qubits, which easily lose their quantum properties due to environmental factors. Topological superconductors offer a solution by providing more resilient qubits. These special materials combine superconductivity with protected metallic states on their surfaces.
LaPt3P was identified through comprehensive muon spin relaxation experiments and theoretical analysis. To verify its properties, researchers prepared samples at both the University of Warwick and ETH Zurich, testing them at two different muon facilities: ISIS Pulsed Neutron and Muon Source at the STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory and PSI in Switzerland.
Dr. Sudeep Kumar Ghosh, the Principal Investigator and Leverhulme Early Career Fellow at Kent, emphasized the discovery’s significance: “This discovery of the topological superconductor LaPt3P has tremendous potential in the field of quantum computing. Discovery of such a rare and desired component demonstrates the importance of muon research for the everyday world around us.“
This discovery represents a substantial advancement in materials science with direct applications to next-generation quantum computing technologies.
Reference: P. K. Biswas, S. K. Ghosh, J. Z. Zhao, D. A. Mayoh, N. D. Zhigadlo, Xiaofeng Xu, C. Baines, A. D. Hillier, G. Balakrishnan, M. R. Lees. Chiral singlet superconductivity in the weakly correlated metal LaPt3P. Nature Communications, 2021; 12 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22807-8
