Quantum magic states used for the first time

A quantum phenomenon known as a "magic state" has been used for the first time to create logical qubits, the fundamental building blocks of future quantum computers . This achievement is the result of research published in the journal Nature and coordinated by Sergio Cantù of the American company QuEra, with the participation of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A quantum magic state is a special type of qubit state that, when used in conjunction with other standard quantum computing tools, allows operations that would otherwise be impossible or very difficult.

"The so-called magic states are a quantum phenomenon that has only been explored in the last two decades and which is of interest to the computing sector ," Simone Montangero, co-leader of Spoke 10 dedicated to Quantum Computing at ICSC – National Research Center in High Performance Computing, Big Data and Quantum Computing and director of the Center for Quantum Computing and Simulations at the University of Padua, told ANSA. This is a property that can exist in the states of qubits , the quantum computing units that correspond to traditional bits, and which researchers at QuEra, one of the world's leading companies in the construction of quantum computers, have focused on.

The research has made it possible for the first time to obtain qubits in a series in a magical state and apply error-correction techniques. Errors, in fact, are currently the Achilles heel of quantum computers, as qubits are still too sensitive to external interference, so much so that they cannot be used for extremely complex computational sequences without more efficient error elimination or correction methods.

In this study, researchers have for the first time succeeded in extracting a single, higher-quality copy from many copies of qubits in the magic state . "We live in a phase that closely resembles the birth of the first transistors," added Montangero, "and it's truly difficult to understand the true significance of each advancement, but in this case it is certainly a significant step forward. This single step will likely not have immediate implications for the future, but it is an important step and a work of great interest for the entire computing sector."