Ming Li

Quantum computers require magical states — special helper particles for error-free operation. Previously, they were obtained through repeated purification, akin to endless distillation of alcohol: each step added энтропию (disorder), like weeds in a garden, and consumed resources.

Quantum particles in a strongly disordered environment behave like dancers executing steps in sync: each knows its own move and never collides with others. This kind of coordinated, frictionless flow, superfluidity, unexpectedly emerged in an experiment on a superconducting quantum chip.

Ice cubes in a glass melt, and the water mixes on its own. Many quantum systems behave this way: particles exchange energy, and after a while, order disappears. But if you add a spoonful of honey to the glass, mixing slows down, and in intense cold, the water freezes into glass — without a crystal lattice, but also without flow.

Creating light with an exact number of photons is like stamping exactly 100,000 flawless coins. Until now, physicists could only control dozens of particles. The 'optical lathe' technology breaks this barrier: virtual lenses, like milling cutters, eliminate 'blurriness' and ensure each bunch contains exactly the specified number of photons. Counting becomes perfect.

A handful of matches falls on the table. Each lies however it lands, but in our minds we turn each into an arrow — from one end to the other. Now ask: can you get from one point to another by moving only in the direction of the arrows? A group of points where you can reach any one from any other is called a strongly connected cluster.

A human effortlessly picks out the desired voice from the clamor of a party. For a computer, the same task is still at the edge of its abilities. Previous programs trained on sterile recordings, free of echo or the clinking of appliances.