IDAHO SPRINGS, Colo. — Colorado is currently leading the world in quantum computing, with more companies devoted to advancing the technology than anywhere else in the world. Quantum experts believe it could lead to cures for cancer or solutions for climate change. But first, researchers have to learn more about how quantum chips function.
The Colorado Underground Research Institute plans to do that by building a quantum computing laboratory inside an underground mine. Colorado School of Mines owns the Edgar Experimental Mine in Idaho Springs. Once actively mined for gold, silver, copper and lead, the mine is now used for educational purposes.
So, why build a laboratory inside a mine? Colorado School of Mines Physics Professor Fred Sarazin said the answer lies in the unique qualities of quantum chips.
“A quantum chip is like a collection of atoms that need to talk to one another, and the amount of noise around can upset the way the tiny atoms talk together,” Sarazin said.
The mine blocks the effects of electromagnetic radiation and cosmic rays in the environment, allowing researchers to study the quantum chips longer and make more precise measurements.
“Once we figure out how to kind of mitigate some of this effect, then we're going to be able to take the technology to the surface,” Sarazin said.
The ultimate goal is to translate this underground research into real-world applications, which could still be many years away. Sarazin said it will probably be another two years before the quantum computing lab in the Edgar mine is operational.
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