Japan Just Powered Up a Quantum Computer Built From Single Atoms—and It May Not Need a Giant Freezer to Run

3 min readOne of Japan’s leading scientists in quantum computing says that his lab has switched on the power to “Japan’s first full-stack, neutral atom quantum computer,” according to a recent press release.This announcement is not linked with peer reviewed research, but the lab leader, photo-molecular physicist Kenji Ohmori, has decades of research, publication, and leadership in the field. The computer, named Shunkai, is part of a nationwide Japanese consortium of universities and corporate interests that seeks to realize “a fault-tolerant universal quantum computer that will revolutionize economy, industry, and security by 2050.”There are many flavors of experimental quantum computers on our busy planet today. That’s because, to date, there’s definitely never been a “fault-tolerant universal quantum computer” by a very long stretch. When traditional digital computers were developed, they had guardrails because of the way our electrical and logic industries had developed before them. Quantum computing is a deeply different paradigm where the next step is more ambiguous: all the options have drawbacks and limitations that are more confusing and pervasive than what we have now. It’s like VHS versus Betamax, but on steroids.Neutral atom quantum computing is one of the suggested paradigms for a robust and usable quantum computer. These setups use special atoms whose electrons circle in a further orbit from the nucleus than expected, after being stimulated to sort of “puff up” so the electrons piggyback to an outer ring. This means a single atom can function as a qubit, or quantum bit—the smallest unit of information equivalent to a bit in a traditional computer—compared with two atoms in most other quantum computers.Japan’s Institute for Molecular Science said in their statement that these single-atom qubits, which can function without being cooled to near absolute zero, can even work at room temperature “without the need for a refrigerator.” That’s interesting, because “room temperature” in quantum computing means above freezing, and you do need a refrigerator to reach the lower part of that temperature range. You just don’t need a deep freezer powered by liquid nitrogen. Time will tell precisely how “room temperature” Shunkai actually is.The term “full stack” refers to the levels or layers of abstraction in a computer system. When you open your laptop or use your smartphone, you interact with it and experience computing results in realtime, without any additional technology or devices. That’s because the computer presents you with seamless results, but underneath, your input passes through multiple layers as it’s turned into computable code and run through software and eventually hardware. Many quantum computer prototypes work as just the processor, but Shunkai’s team says their machine will work as a complete computing experience and even be available for outside users to work on.In the statement, Shunkai is described as “operational,” but that doesn’t seem to include work or results—just a completed assembly that can be turned on. The team’s goals are still listed in the future tense, and Ohmori’s consortium goals also include a cold atom quantum computer, meaning one that’s supercooled. The consortium’s other goals include “a society in which human beings can be free from limitations of body, brain, space, and time by 2050.” It’s just not clear how achievable any of these goals are yet.Caroline Delbert is a writer, avid reader, and contributing editor at Pop Mech. She's also an enthusiast of just about everything. Her favorite topics include nuclear energy, cosmology, math of everyday things, and the philosophy of it all.