Researchers use graphene encapsulation to grow air-stable 2D superconductors for quantum circuits
MIT researchers have developed a new technique called encapsulation epitaxy to grow air-stable, wafer-scale 2D superconductors. By using graphene to shield the material during growth, they have overcome a major hurdle in creating practical quantum computing hardware.
Why it matters
This breakthrough could enable the mass production of high-performance quantum circuits, which are currently limited by the fragility of superconducting materials.
MIT researchers, together with collaborators from Harvard University, Rice University, Yale University, MIT Lincoln Laboratory and Pohang University in South Korea, have developed a technique that uses graphene to grow air-stable, wafer-scale monolayer superconductors, addressing a longstanding barrier to using these ultrathin materials in practical quantum computing hardware.
The superconducting material (yellow/blue) grows in the tiny gap beneath a graphene layer (grey) placed atop a silicon dioxide substrate (purple). The graphene shields it from oxidation while guiding it into a smooth, uniform film over a large area. image credit: MIT
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