Quantum computers, systems that process information leveraging quantum mechanical effects, will require faster and energy-efficient memory components, which will allow them to perform well on complex tasks. Superconducting memories are promising memory devices that are made from superconductors, materials that conduct electricity with a resistance of zero when cooled below a critical temperature.

These memory devices could be faster and consume significantly less energy than existing memories based on superconductors. Despite their potential, most existing superconducting memories are prone to errors and are difficult to scale up to create larger systems containing several memory cells.

Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) recently developed a new scalable superconducting memory that is based on nanowires, one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures with unique optoelectronic properties. This memory, introduced in a paper published in Nature Electronics, was found to be less prone to errors than many other superconducting nanowire-based memories introduced in the past.