Magnesium protects tantalum, a promising material for making qubits

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory have discovered that adding a thin layer of magnesium improves the properties of tantalum, a superconducting material that shows great promise for building qubits, the basis of quantum computers. The thin layer of magnesium keeps tantalum from oxidizing, improves its purity, and raises the temperature at which it operates as a superconductor. All three properties may increase tantalum's ability to hold onto quantum information in qubits.