This new model for quantum circuits is like a 5-decker sandwich

One of the challenges on the way to realizing the benefits of quantum computing is finding a way to compactly assemble and then precisely control enough quantum bits to deliver on the technology's enormous processing potential.

Researchers at Penn State University said they've made a big advance.

Quantum bits, or qubits, are the quantum equivalent of the bits used in traditional computing. While today's bits typically represent data as 0s or 1s, qubits can be both 0 and 1 at the same time through a state known as superposition.

To achieve their breakthrough, the scientists first corralled quantum atoms into a 3D array. To construct it, they used beams of light to trap and hold the atoms in a cubic arrangement of five stacked planes, much like a sandwich made with five slices of bread. Each plane had room for 25 equally spaced atoms; in all, the arrangement formed a cube with an orderly pattern of individual locations for 125 atoms.

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