The Technology Innovation Institute in Abu Dhabi, a leading global center for applied research and development, has unveiled the cooling fridge, the preliminary framework for the quantum computer being assembled in Abu Dhabi. The Quantum Research Center, part of the institute, is leading this advanced and prominent technological project aimed at enabling the world to harness the power of quantum computers by developing a supercomputer with exceptional computing capabilities.
Two dilution refrigerators using helium arrived from Finland earlier this week inside large wooden crates. These refrigerators are essential components that utilize helium isotopes to cool quantum chips or the brain of the computer and maintain quantum information. The dilution refrigerator consists of six stages, with the top stage at room temperature, while the temperature steadily decreases in the lower levels, enabling the device to achieve an extremely low temperature of 10 millikelvins, which is one-hundredth of the temperature of outer space, an optimal temperature for quantum chips to operate.
The quantum computer utilizes quantum mechanical phenomena such as "superposition" and "entanglement" to generate and control subatomic particles, such as electrons or photons, known as "qubits," to provide a significantly enhanced processing power that can perform complex calculations that usually take much longer to solve, even with the world's strongest classical supercomputers. Traditional computers use bits arranged as collections of ones and zeros, whereas quantum computers use qubits, allowing particles to exist in both states simultaneously, thereby increasing their computational power by permitting them to evaluate multiple results at once.
Once the quantum computer is completed, it will assist in various fields ranging from discovering new drugs to designing better batteries and innovating several AI-based applications. The Technology Innovation Institute aims, through these ambitious quantum projects, to achieve leadership in advanced technology in the region and ensure the UAE's advancement toward a strong knowledge-based society.
