Twin detectors at Fermilab are scheduled to start probing superconducting qubits this month as part of a growing effort to pinpoint how cosmic radiation affects the fragile components. The insights will help scientists build more robust quantum computers. The Fermilab duo consists of a new detector 100 meters underground dubbed QUIET, for the Quantum Underground Instrumentation Experimental Testbed, and one on the surface called LOUD, which began operations in 2022. Differences between the two detectors’ observations will allow researchers to assess how cosmic radiation affects qubit performance.
Quantum researchers realized about four years ago that cosmic radiation limits the lifetime of superconducting qubits, says LOUD project lead Rakshya Khatiwada. When cosmic radiation interacts with a qubit, it causes decoherence, a process in which the delicate quantum state collapses and the qubit loses its stored information (see “Ionizing radiation may hinder popular qubit technology,” Physics Today online, 18 September...
