"Scientists build modular quantum computers like Lego blocks"

• Researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have developed a breakthrough modular architecture that allows quantum computers to be built like Lego blocks, connecting separate superconducting quantum processors with cables.

• The team achieved approximately 99% fidelity in quantum gate operations between separate devices, demonstrating less than 1% loss when connecting modules with superconducting coaxial cables.

• Led by Wolfgang Pfaff, the research addresses fundamental scaling challenges in quantum computing by enabling engineers to build, test, and reconfigure quantum modules independently before assembly.

• The modular approach overcomes limitations of traditional monolithic quantum computers, which are built as single large units and face significant constraints in size and performance.

• The breakthrough, published in Nature Electronics, represents a critical step toward scaling quantum computers to the millions of qubits needed for practical applications in drug discovery, materials science, and cryptography!