Chinese researchers have developed a single-photon source that meets the efficiency threshold needed for scalable photonic quantum computing, overcoming a longstanding technical barrier in the field. Reporting their findings in Nature, the team led, by Jian-Wei Pan at the University of Science and Technology of China, demonstrated a system with an efficiency of 71.2%, surpassing the two-thirds threshold required for quantum error correction to function in photonic quantum computing. The source also maintains a low error rate and high indistinguishability, critical parameters for reliable quantum operations. The results could significantly advance the prospects of building large-scale photonic quantum computers, the researchers report. Photonic quantum computers use individual particles of light — photons — to perform calculations. These systems are attractive because photons move quickly, interact weakly with their surroundings and can operate at room temperature. However, a major challenge has been photon loss, which disrupts calculations and prevents error correction from working effectively. Previous single-photon sources have failed to reach the necessary efficiency, limiting their scalability.

Full research : Chinese researchers have developed a single-photon source with 71.2% efficiency, surpassing the threshold required for scalable photonic quantum computing.