TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A research team from National Taiwan Normal University has partnered with the California Institute of Technology to develop a quantum memory material that is only 0.65 nm thick.

According to an NTNU press release Wednesday, the material could be made even smaller to enhance storage capacity and computation speed. It is stable at ultra-low temperatures and can advance the field of quantum computing, per CNA.

Whereas traditional computers use bits, 1s and 0s, quantum computers use qubits, which can be 1, 0, or both. This is called superposition. Quantum computers use it to return a range of outputs after complex computations.

Similarly, while traditional machines store information with bits, quantum computers rely on quantum memory. It is crucial for speeding up calculations and scalability.

NTNU said by applying a magnetic field to ferroelectric materials, the team discovered that it could manipulate monolayer materials, a closely packed layer of atoms or molecules.

The team said the findings provide new approaches for realizing quantum memory. The research was published in the science journal Advanced Materials in December.

Taiwan has been making headway into quantum technology. The government announced an NT$8 billion (US$242 million) investment in 2021, and Academia Sinica revealed the country’s first domestically-built 5-qubit quantum computer in January last year.