Diagram of the experimental setup. Image courtesy of the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC).

AsianFin -- A team of Chinese researchers led by renowned physicist Pan Jianwei has unveiled a breakthrough in quantum technology, using artificial intelligence to assemble the largest array of atoms in the world. The achievement could serve as a critical technological foundation for the next generation of quantum computing and quantum simulations.

The team, including Pan and Lu Chaoyang at the University of Science and Technology of China, leveraged AI to construct defect-free two- and three-dimensional atom arrays with up to 2,024 atoms, all achieved with a constant-time cost of just 60 milliseconds, according to a research paper recently published in Physical Review Letters. By comparison, prior systems were only able to rearrange a few hundred atoms at a time.

Assembling large-scale, defect-free optical-tweezer-trapped atom arrays is essential for atom-based quantum computing and simulations. However, traditional rearranging methods have been constrained by time complexity, atomic losses, and computational limitations, restricting the feasible size of atom arrays. The Chinese team’s approach represents a substantial leap forward in both computing efficiency and experimental feasibility, according to reviewers of the study.

The breakthrough relies on an AI model capable of calculating holograms for real-time atom rearrangement. By controlling both the position and phase of atoms with extreme precision, the system uses a high-speed spatial light modulator to move all atoms simultaneously. This protocol, the researchers say, can be scaled to generate defect-free arrays comprising tens of thousands of atoms, providing a potential toolbox for quantum error correction—a key challenge in the development of practical quantum computers.

To showcase the capabilities of their system, the team created a visual demonstration inspired by Schrödinger's cat. Using up to 549 atoms in a 230 × 230-micrometer array, the researchers imaged the atoms’ positions by detecting their fluorescence in response to laser pulses, as reported by Physics Magazine, an online publication from the American Physical Society.

The development is expected to accelerate the field of atom-array-based quantum computing, where building ever-larger, defect-free arrays is critical to performing complex computations and simulating quantum systems. By integrating AI into the assembly process, the team has overcome longstanding limitations that have slowed progress in scaling up experimental quantum systems.

“This research provides a clear, practical benefit that will be of interest to the growing field of atom-array experiments,” a reviewer of the paper noted. The combination of AI-driven optimization, precise optical control, and high-speed computation may set a new standard for experimental protocols in quantum physics.

The achievement also underscores China’s growing prominence in quantum technology research, reflecting the country’s sustained investment in next-generation computing and its ambition to secure leadership in the emerging global quantum market. As quantum computing moves from theoretical models toward real-world applications, breakthroughs like Pan’s AI-driven atom array could play a pivotal role in making large-scale, error-corrected quantum processors a reality.

In short, the marriage of AI and quantum experimental physics in this research represents a landmark step, enabling unprecedented control over atomic systems and potentially opening the door to scalable, practical quantum computing.