Floating Electrons on a Sea of Helium
Posted3 months agoActive3 months ago
arstechnica.comResearchstory
calmpositive
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Quantum ComputingQuantum PhysicsSuperconducting Materials
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Quantum Computing
Quantum Physics
Superconducting Materials
Researchers have developed a new qubit technology that traps single electrons on liquid helium, potentially advancing quantum computing; the HN discussion is brief but inquisitive about the technology's implications.
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Oct 8, 2025 at 9:18 AM EDT
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Oct 12, 2025 at 7:07 AM EDT
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Oct 12, 2025 at 12:02 PM EDT
3 months ago
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Well. I had thought liquid helium was famous for being rather extremely cold. I stand recalibrated. Now I have to go look up 'transmons'.
No. At least not at temperatures > 2.17 K, which is where the phase change occurs. In the range (2.17..4]K, He is just a regular liquid; it is only superfluid in the range (0..2.17]K.
Hard to trust anything in the article when it gets something that fundamental that wrong.