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3w ago

Researchers Achieve Quantum Breakthrough with 'Hot Schrödinger Cat States'

University of Innsbruck scientists create quantum superpositions at 1.8 Kelvin, challenging the need for near-absolute-zero conditions.

Image
Conceptual image of Schrödinger's Cat in a box. (©Jadestar - stock.adobe.com)
The physicist prepares the experiment in a helium-cooled cryostat. Credit: University of Innsbruck

Overview

  • Physicists at the University of Innsbruck successfully created 'hot Schrödinger cat states' at temperatures up to 1.8 Kelvin, significantly warmer than the near-absolute-zero levels traditionally required.
  • The experiment used a transmon qubit in a superconducting microwave resonator, employing adapted protocols to achieve quantum superpositions from thermally excited states.
  • This breakthrough demonstrates that quantum interference can persist at temperatures 60 times higher than previously thought feasible.
  • The findings open new possibilities for quantum technologies, such as quantum computing, by reducing dependence on extreme cooling systems.
  • Published in *Science Advances*, the study has been widely recognized as a paradigm shift in quantum physics, with implications for scaling quantum applications in less controlled environments.