Breakthrough Cooling Technology Accelerates Quantum Computing and Scientific Experiments
Quantum computing and scientific experiments often require extremely low temperatures to minimize interference and ensure accurate results. However, achieving these temperatures using conventional refrigerators is expensive, inefficient, and time-consuming.
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a new prototype refrigerator that can achieve the “Big Chill” much more quickly and efficiently. This technology has the potential to revolutionize quantum computing and scientific experiments, reducing costly preparation time and energy consumption by millions of dollars.
Conventional refrigerators work through a process of evaporation and condensation, but they are not efficient at achieving extremely low temperatures. Pulse tube refrigerators (PTRs) have been used for over 40 years to achieve these low temperatures, but they are also energy-intensive and expensive to operate.
The NIST researchers discovered that PTRs are needlessly inefficient and can be greatly improved to reduce cooling times and lower overall cost. They found that by adjusting the design of the PTR between the compressor and the refrigerator, helium could be used more efficiently, reducing cooling times by 1.7 to 3.5 times.
This new technology could shave at least a week off experiments at facilities such as the Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events (CUORE), where low background noise is essential for accurate results. It could also lead to faster innovation in quantum computing, where qubits are incredibly sensitive to external influences and require extremely cold temperatures for optimal performance.
The researchers are currently working with an industrial partner to release their improved PTR commercially, which could benefit a wide range of applications, including quantum computing, scientific experiments, and the cryogenics industry.
