Current quantum computing installations require temperatures close to absolute zero, colder than deep space, to function. 460° below zero Fahrenheit, -273° C.
$3 million for the cooling apparatus, $20,000 per year in electricity to keep the chill on the quantum computer, and a few six figure incomes hovering around to keep everything working.
That’s not a formula for scalable quantum computing.
But maybe something new is in the works, as it seemingly always is?
But why do it? Because current super computers would take billions of years to compute what quantum computers can do in hours. Things such as…
Core Purposes of Quantum Computing (MIT, McKenzie, Oak Ridge National Laboratory)
• Modeling complex systems: Quantum computers excel at simulating molecular interactions, which helps researchers design better drugs, materials, and chemicals.
• Optimization: Problems in logistics, finance, traffic management, and manufacturing often involve so many variables that classical computers can’t efficiently find optimal solutions. Quantum computers can tackle these by examining many possible combinations simultaneously.
• Cryptography and data security: Quantum machines can break some current encryption (such as RSA) but also create new types of cryptographically secure communications—a major leap for cybersecurity.
• Accelerating AI and machine learning: Quantum computers can speed up training and pattern recognition for advanced AI systems in ways classical computers cannot match.
Who Benefits and How
• Researchers, governments, and businesses in pharmaceuticals, materials science, energy, finance, and logistics stand to gain massive economic advantage by unlocking solutions faster, cheaper, and more accurately.
• Early adopters gain competitive advantages, while companies and countries that fall behind may lose out on breakthroughs that reshape entire industries.
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Keith King
MIT Achieves First Direct View of Exotic Superconductivity in Twisted Graphene
Breakthrough in the Quest for Room-Temperature Superconductors
MIT physicists have captured the first direct experimental evidence of unconventional superconductivity in magic-angle twisted trilayer graphene (MATTG)—a three-layer carbon structure stacked and twisted at precise angles. The discovery, published in Science, represents a landmark in condensed matter physics and strengthens the case that MATTG is part of an entirely new class of superconducting materials.
A Window into Quantum Behavior
Using a novel electron tunneling–transport hybrid technique, the team directly measured MATTG’s superconducting gap—a property that defines how resistant a material’s superconducting state is to disruption. Instead of the flat, uniform gap seen in conventional superconductors, MATTG displayed a distinct V-shaped gap, revealing that its electron pairing mechanism is unconventional.
Conventional superconductors: Electron pairs (Cooper pairs) form via weak vibrations of the atomic lattice.
MATTG: Electrons appear to pair through strong electronic interactions, effectively “helping each other” form the superconducting state.
A New Experimental Platform
The technique integrates electron tunneling and electrical transport measurements, enabling researchers to simultaneously track current flow and quantum behavior at near-atomic precision.
“This direct view shows how electrons pair and compete with other quantum states,” said co-lead author Jeong Min Park. “It’s a blueprint for designing next-generation superconductors and quantum materials.”
The Future of Twistronics and Quantum Engineering
Senior author Prof. Pablo Jarillo-Herrero, pioneer of the twistronics field, emphasized that the results validate a broader principle: precise stacking and rotation of two-dimensional materials can generate new quantum phases of matter. His group first discovered “magic-angle” graphene in 2018, sparking global exploration into twisted 2D materials.
Why It Matters
This finding moves science closer to the “Holy Grail” of room-temperature superconductivity—a breakthrough that could revolutionize power transmission, computing, and medical imaging. A functional, high-temperature superconductor would enable:
Zero-loss power grids and magnetic levitation transport.
Faster, more stable quantum computers.
Ultra-efficient sensors and imaging technologies.
Jarillo-Herrero concluded, “Understanding one unconventional superconductor very well may unlock understanding of the rest—and ultimately guide us to materials that superconduct at room temperature.”
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Keith King
