UC Irvine Physicists Discover Way to Reverse Quantum Scrambling

Breakthrough could help preserve data in quantum computers

Apr. 14, 2026 at 5:09am

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An abstract, geometric painting in muted earth tones depicting the complex, interconnected patterns of quantum information, suggesting the reversibility of the scrambling process discovered by the UC Irvine team.A conceptual illustration of the breakthrough UC Irvine researchers made in reversing the scrambling of quantum information, a key challenge in unlocking the full potential of quantum computing.Irvine Today

Researchers at the University of California, Irvine have discovered a method to reverse the process of quantum scrambling, where information encoded in quantum computers becomes dispersed and effectively lost. By leveraging the reversible nature of quantum physics, the team found a way to counteract this scrambling and refocus the dispersed information.

Why it matters

Quantum computers hold immense potential to revolutionize research by solving certain problems exponentially faster than classical computers. However, the phenomenon of quantum scrambling has posed a major challenge, as it causes the loss of stored information. This breakthrough by UC Irvine physicists could help preserve data in quantum computers, unlocking their full transformative power.

The details

The fundamental unit of quantum computing is the qubit, which can store information as a 0, a 1, or both at the same time. Quantum scrambling occurs when information encoded in qubits spreads across a quantum computing chip and becomes effectively lost. Led by Thomas Scaffidi, assistant professor of physics & astronomy, the UC Irvine team discovered that this scrambling process is in fact reversible at the microscopic level, due to the underlying reversible nature of quantum physics. By precisely tuning their intervention, the researchers were able to drive the system backward, allowing the dispersed information to refocus near its original location.

  • The research was published in the journal Physical Review Letters on April 13, 2026.

The players

Thomas Scaffidi

Assistant professor of physics & astronomy at the University of California, Irvine and lead author of the new study.

Rishik Perugu

Graduate student in Scaffidi's research group who played a central role in the breakthrough by performing the calculations that revealed how quantum scrambling can be reversed.

University of California, Irvine

A member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and ranked among the nation's top 10 public universities, known for its academic achievement, premier research, and innovation.

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What they’re saying

“My work is on understanding how this scrambling of quantum information works and in understanding how it emerges. We're trying to figure out if the information is still there in some form and if we can reverse the scrambling process completely.”

— Thomas Scaffidi, Assistant professor of physics & astronomy

“It happens to be a very universal property. The conclusion is that it is possible to reverse it, but it requires an extremely fine-tuned and very fine level of control on your system.”

— Thomas Scaffidi, Assistant professor of physics & astronomy

“The project had stalled for a while before Rishik joined. His work gave it new momentum, and he played a central role in making the new paper happen.”

— Thomas Scaffidi, Assistant professor of physics & astronomy

What’s next

The researchers plan to continue exploring ways to further refine and optimize their method for reversing quantum scrambling, with the goal of enabling more reliable and efficient quantum computing.

The takeaway

This breakthrough by UC Irvine physicists represents a significant step forward in overcoming one of the key challenges facing quantum computing. By demonstrating the ability to reverse the process of quantum scrambling, the team has opened up new possibilities for preserving data and unlocking the full transformative potential of quantum computers.