*Original Japanese version is available here.

Easy Quantum Technology Explanation for High School Students

Building a Circuit by Arranging Atoms One by One!? The "Silicon Quantum Computer" Born from Smartphone Technology

Published: October 7, 2026 | Topic: Semiconductor Silicon Approach × Atomic-Precision Manufacturing

Hello! I'm a KOSEN student taking on the challenge of developing a quantum computer using a homemade Earth's Field NMR (EFNMR) system.

The "semiconductor chip" is the brain of smartphones and computers.
Actually, a mind-blowing technology that builds a quantum computer by precisely arranging atoms one by one inside "silicon"—the exact same material used in those semiconductors—is currently drawing massive attention worldwide. I will explain this microscopic world, which sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie, in an easy-to-understand way!

1. Why is it so amazing to build it with "silicon"?

Many of the quantum computers we often see in the news today use approaches like "superconducting," which requires cooling in large, cylinder-like refrigerators, or "ion traps," which suspend atoms in mid-air. All of these are massive devices that can take up an entire room.

Therefore, researchers around the world are tackling the idea: "Can we build it with the same silicon used in current computer and smartphone chips?" If it can be built with silicon, the manufacturing technologies of semiconductor plants that already exist worldwide can be applied, giving it an overwhelming advantage for miniaturization and future mass production.

2. The Latest News: Australia's SQC, Which Places Atoms One by One, is Selected Globally!

It was announced yesterday that the atomic-precision silicon quantum processor technology developed by the Australian startup "Silicon Quantum Computing (SQC)" was selected for the US technology media Fast Company's "2026 Next Big Things in Tech" list.

Key Points This Time

• An ultra-highly skilled manufacturing technique that uses a special device called a Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM) to see atoms, precisely embedding phosphorus (P) atoms one by one into a silicon crystal.
• Because there is absolutely no misalignment of atoms, noise is extremely low, resulting in highly accurate calculations (long coherence time).
• The evolution of atomic manipulation from a "laboratory physical phenomenon" to an engineering technology that operates as an actual chip is being recognized globally.

*Reference: Silicon Quantum Computing Named to Fast Company's 2026 Next Big Things in Tech List (PR Newswire) / SQC Official Website

3. Which part of the atom is used for calculation?

Inside an atom, there is a positively charged "nucleus" and "electrons" that orbit around it. These spin around like the Earth's rotation, possessing properties much like a microscopic magnet. In physics, this is called "spin."

If we consider the magnet's "North pole up" as 0 and "North pole down" as 1, by cleanly hitting this spin with electromagnetic waves (radio frequency pulses), we can create a "state where both up and down are mixed together (superposition)." In other words, the embedded atom itself functions as a single qubit.

4. How Will Our Future Change?

If silicon quantum computers are established, quantum processors small enough to sit neatly on a circuit board, just like current PC CPUs, might appear.
The dream is expanding towards a future where data center power consumption is drastically reduced, and palm-sized smart devices capable of highly advanced AI and new material development calculations are born.

Column

Perspective of the EFNMRQC (Earth's Field NMR Quantum Computer) Creator

The quantum machines used in industry are predominantly superconducting types that cool down near absolute zero or ion trap types that require vacuum chambers, meaning the equipment is massive.
On the other hand, the EFNMRQC (Earth's Field NMR Quantum Computer), whose hardware I am currently building myself, takes an approach that utilizes the Earth's own weak magnetic field (about 50μT) to operate at room temperature and atmospheric pressure.

Notes from a Hardware Development Perspective:
What gave me goosebumps while looking at SQC's technology this time is that what they are manipulating as qubits is exactly the "nuclear spin of phosphorus atoms (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance: NMR phenomenon)."
The EFNMRQC I am building also manipulates the spins of hydrogen nuclei (protons) in water molecules using NMR. The ultra-high-tech microfabrication of embedding a single atom into silicon like SQC, and my homemade experiment using the Earth's magnetic field with hand-wound coils and discrete circuits, are certainly different approaches. However, the physical principle of "applying radio frequency (RF) pulses to nuclear spins to cause magnetic resonance and reading the FID (Free Induction Decay) signal" is exactly the same.
Currently, I am going through trial and error with noise countermeasures for the receiver coil and gain adjustment of the preamplifier. But when I realize that the signal I am trying to see on my oscilloscope is connected to the exact same principle as cutting-edge silicon quantum computers, my motivation to face the circuit boards skyrockets.

To the Readers:
At this stage, there are still few situations that directly and significantly impact our lives, but as practical research advances like this, an era will surely come where it brings massive changes to our lives, much like AI today.

When that happens, I feel it's important to be prepared to stand at the forefront without being left behind by the times. In fact, even now, a big gap is beginning to form between those who can utilize AI effectively and those who cannot.

Don't distance yourself by thinking, "I'm still a student" or "I'm not an engineer." It's fine to start with a field you're interested in, so please start by trying to search for just one topic related to quantum computers. I will continue to publish articles on this blog that can serve as that kind of trigger!

• Daily experiment notes and code: Available on my GitHub repository (nmr-qc-project)
• Real-time development scenes and oscilloscope waveforms: Posting on X (formerly Twitter)

If you are wondering things like "Will it really work?" or "How do you generate waveforms?", please bookmark this blog and follow me on X!