The Vergecast · Thursday, July 9, 2026
Quantum computers from companies like IBM and Google utilize superconducting qubits that necessitate cryogenic temperatures, operating near absolute zero. However, emerging platforms using atoms have different requirements and do not need such extreme cooling, which could facilitate easier scaling.
“But these things, they operate at like, deep, deep, like close to, uh, absolute zero temperatures. Is that right?”
“So, some quantum computing designs do require absolute zero temperatures, but then it really depends on the qubit hardware.”
“Um, whereas there's other emerging platforms, so like, um, using atoms. Um, so like those, uh, have different requirements.”
“And actually Google is recently made an announcement that they were gonna try doing neutral atoms in addition to superconducting qubits.”