New quantum computer is on the path to unravelling superconductivity

Researchers at the quantum computing firm Quantinuum used a new Helios-1 quantum computer to simulate a mathematical model that has long been used to study superconductivity. These simulations are not out of reach for conventional computers, but this advance sets the stage for quantum computers to become useful tools for materials science . Superconductors conduct electricity with perfect efficiency, but they currently only work at temperatures too low to be practical. For decades, physicists have been trying to understand how to tweak their structure to make them work at room temperature, and many believe answers will come from a mathematical framework called the Fermi-Hubbard model. This potential makes it one of the most important models in all condensed matter physics, says Quantinuum's Henrik Dreyer . Conventional computers can run exceptional simulations of the Fermi-Hubbard model but struggle with very large samples or cases where the materials it describes change over time.