Silicon Breakthrough: Robust Telecom Qubit Emerges

Researchers identify a promising new qubit in silicon that could accelerate quantum technology development.

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

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Researchers at UC Santa Barbara have identified a new qubit in silicon, called the CN center, that could serve as a practical building block for quantum devices. Unlike the previously studied T center qubit, the CN center does not contain hydrogen, making it more robust and easier to manufacture reliably. The CN center also produces light in the telecom range, allowing it to transmit quantum information through optical fibers. This discovery represents an important step in bridging the gap between quantum science and scalable technology.

Why it matters

Quantum technologies hold immense promise for transforming computing, communication, and sensing, but translating this potential into practical devices requires identifying quantum building blocks that can be easily manufactured. Silicon is an attractive platform due to the existing trillion-dollar semiconductor industry, and the discovery of a stable, telecom-compatible qubit in silicon could accelerate the development of advanced quantum technologies.

The details

The researchers used advanced computer simulations to model the CN center defect, which consists of carbon and nitrogen atoms, at the atomic level. Unlike the previously studied T center qubit that contains hydrogen, the hydrogen-free CN center is expected to be more robust and less sensitive to fabrication conditions. The team found that the CN center reproduces the key electronic and optical properties that make the T center attractive for quantum applications, including the ability to produce light in the telecom range that can be transmitted through optical fibers.

  • The research findings were published in the journal Physical Review B on February 26, 2026.

The players

Chris Van de Walle

A materials professor at UC Santa Barbara and the leader of the Computational Materials Group that conducted the research.

Kevin Nangoi

A postdoctoral scholar in the Van de Walle group who led the project.

Mark Turiansky

A group alumnus and now a postdoctoral researcher at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, who was involved in the project.

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What they’re saying

“Unlike the T center, this defect does not contain hydrogen and will, therefore, be more robust and easier to realize in actual devices.”

— Kevin Nangoi, Postdoctoral scholar

“Our results show that the CN center reproduces the key electronic and optical properties that render the T center attractive for quantum applications; in particular, the center is structurally stable and produces light in the telecom range.”

— Mark Turiansky, Postdoctoral researcher

“If confirmed experimentally, the CN center could serve as a practical new building block for quantum devices, potentially accelerating the development of advanced quantum technologies [while] using the same silicon material that powers today's electronics.”

— Chris Van de Walle, Materials professor

What’s next

The researchers plan to conduct further experimental studies to confirm the properties of the CN center and explore its potential as a practical qubit for quantum devices.

The takeaway

The discovery of a robust, telecom-compatible qubit in silicon represents an important breakthrough that could help bridge the gap between quantum science and scalable technology, potentially accelerating the development of advanced quantum computing, communication, and sensing applications.