Scientists working at the University of Surrey have put forward a fresh approach to building a qubit that could bring about a roughly 100 fold reduction in quantum computing error rates. Their idea involves using superfluid helium, which has unusual quantum traits, to construct a qubit that might be more resistant to the kinds of disruptions that trouble current leading quantum computers.
The suggested piece of equipment, known as the Superfluid Helium Oscillator Quantum (SHOQ) device, would make use of charge-neutral superfluid helium-3. The absence of electric charge within the helium means the arrangement would carry natural protection against certain kinds of electromagnetic disturbance.
Why Quantum Computers Struggle With Errors
Conventional computers cannot handle the way quantum computers store and process information, which depends on qubits. Many current systems depend on superconducting circuits, though those are highly sensitive to electromagnetic noise and stray electrical charges — much like the static electricity that makes hair cling to a balloon.
The information held within a single qubit is extremely delicate, and even tiny disturbances can disturb it. As more qubits are added to a system, keeping track of where errors come from grows harder still, which is why managing errors stands as one of the key problems facing quantum computing today. That difficulty has pushed researchers toward designs that isolate qubits from the very disturbances that cause errors.
The SHOQ Design
The Quantum Sciences Group at Surrey has described a fresh method built around superfluid helium-3, an uncommon form of liquid helium capable of flowing without friction, in a paper appearing in npj Quantum Information.
The proposed device relies on charge-neutral superfluid helium. Since the helium bears no electric charge, the design enjoys natural protection against certain kinds of electromagnetic noise.
The scientists say their work marks the first reported design for a qubit built around a superfluid. Their models point to the SHOQ device having error rates roughly 100 times lower than conventional superconducting qubits.
What Sharma Says
Daphne Jackson Fellow Dr. Priya Sharma, who works in hybrid quantum systems at the University of Surrey’s School of Mathematics and Physics, led the research. She is the study’s principal writer.
“We are not the first to think about the individual components behind this idea, but what we have done for the first time is bring them together in a microfluidic device and work out the specific details that could enable the device to function as a qubit.”
“The maths tells us that it should work. We have taken what we already know about superfluid helium and quantum technologies and turned that into an educated design, with the parameters and specifications needed to build one. The next step is to make a prototype and put those predictions to the test.”
How the Device Could Work
The researchers say the SHOQ device might not replace current quantum computing hardware at all. Instead, they suggest it could be combined with superconducting quantum technology.
It would let various kinds of qubits take on distinct roles inside a single setup, matching whatever qualities they bring to the table. That combination could mean a system where some qubits handle memory while others do the computing, each doing what it does best.
A Possible Role as Quantum Memory
Another extended idea involves using the SHOQ device itself as a kind of storage for quantum data. Under such an arrangement, a superfluid-based qubit would hold onto quantum information while separate hardware handles the computing work.
The study was co-authored by Dr. Eran Ginossar, an Associate Professor in the University of Surrey’s Department of Physics and Advanced Technology Institute, who provided the following statement:
“We don’t necessarily need one type of qubit to do everything. Combining different quantum technologies could allow us to take advantage of the strengths of each.”
“Superfluid helium gives us a fundamentally different type of quantum hardware to explore. If the predicted performance can be demonstrated experimentally, it could eventually work alongside existing superconducting technologies as part of a larger quantum system.”
The Prototype Effort
A prototype is currently planned so the team can determine if the expected performance holds up in an actual device. Funding for that work comes from an IAA Commercialisation Fellowship given to Dr. Priya Sharma.
Superfluid helium-3 has already been used in earlier experiments to reach the low temperatures needed for the SHOQ device to function. The conditions required by the SHOQ device were therefore already achieved in those tests.
The Collaboration Behind the Study
The work was led by the University of Surrey in partnership with Professor Jens Koch at Northwestern University in the United States. Koch was among those who helped create the transmon, which is a superconducting qubit design that has become standard in quantum computing.
The study appears in npj Quantum Information, with the DOI 10.1038/s41534-026-01355-3.
What Happens Next
Before the SHOQ device can be put into service, a working model must be built first. Should the model match the predictions, it could later function side by side with current superconducting qubits, or it might take on the role of a new form of quantum memory.
“We have taken what we already know about superfluid helium and quantum technologies and turned that into an educated design, with the parameters and specifications needed to build one.”
Source material: “This new qubit could be 100 times less error-prone in superfluid quantum computer breakthrough,” ScienceDaily.
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