Now up to 22 MILLIseconds instead of nanoseconds.
https://phys.org/news/2020-08-scientists-quantum-states-longer.html
They do that by carefully tuning an alternating magnetic field that has the effect of shielding out noise and vibration, keeping the superposition state around thousands of times longer which will be a game changer in the quest for quantum computers.
I have just read the whole of that link and I am veryimpressed.
Skimming over the first half of that link, it says in the latter half of that link;
"...
In tandem with the usual electromagnetic pulses used to control quantum systems, the team applied an additional continuous alternating magnetic field. By precisely tuning this field, the scientists could rapidly rotate the electron spins and allow the system to "tune out" the rest of the noise.
"To get a sense of the principle, it's like sitting on a merry-go-round with people yelling all around you," Miao explained. "When the ride is still, you can hear them perfectly, but if you're rapidly spinning, the noise blurs into a background."
The simple fix could unlock discoveries in virtually every area of quantum technology, the scientists said.
"This approach creates a pathway to scalability," said Awschalom. "It should make storing quantum information in electron spin practical. Extended storage times will enable more complex operations in quantum computers and allow quantum information transmitted from spin-based devices to travel longer distances in networks."
Though their tests were run in a solid-state quantum system using silicon carbide, the scientists believe the technique should have similar effects in other types of quantum systems, such as superconducting quantum bits and molecular quantum systems. This level of versatility is unusual for such an engineering breakthrough.
"There are a lot of candidates for quantum technology that were pushed aside because they couldn't maintain quantum coherence for long periods of time," Miao said. "Those could be re-evaluated now that we have this way to massively improve coherence.
"The best part is, it's incredibly easy to do," he added. "The science behind it is intricate, but the logistics of adding an alternating magnetic field are very straightforward."
..."
Sounds like a huge breakthrough for the development of the first practical and useful quantum computers!