"Magnetic Toggle-Switch Advances Quantum Computing Capabilities"
Researchers at the University of Washington have made a significant advancement in developing fault-tolerant qubits for quantum computing by detecting signatures of "fractional quantum anomalous Hall" (FQAH) states in experiments with flakes of semiconductor materials. FQAH states can host anyons, which can be used to make "topologically protected" qubits that are stable against any small, local disturbances. The team built an artificial lattice with exotic properties using two atomically thin flakes of the semiconductor material molybdenum ditelluride (MoTe2) to host FQAH states. The team hopes to discover an even more exotic version of quasiparticles called "non-Abelian" anyons, which could be used as topological qubits.