The MIT team got around this problem by “coupling” nearby qubits together. This allows the microwave photons to “hop” between qubits just like electrons would “hop” between atoms when subjected to an electromagnetic field.

“The beauty of quantum computers is that we can look at exactly what is happening at every moment in time on every qubit, so we have all this information at our disposal. We are in a very exciting place for the future,” adds Rosen.