Dilution Refrigeration
Master the cryogenic cooling systems that enable quantum computing
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Quantum Processor Architecture
Introduction to Dilution Refrigeration
Dilution refrigerators are cryogenic cooling systems that reach temperatures near absolute zero (10-15 millikelvin). At these ultra-low temperatures, quantum effects dominate and superconducting qubits can maintain quantum coherence long enough for computation.
15 mK
Base Temperature
-273°C
Near Absolute Zero
12-48h
Cooldown Time
Why So Cold?
❄️
Quantum Coherence
Low thermal noise preserves quantum states
⚡
Superconductivity
Zero electrical resistance below critical temp
🎯
Reduced Errors
Thermal excitations cause decoherence
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Energy Scales
Qubit energies must exceed thermal energy
Dilution Principle
1
Helium-3/4 Mixture
Two isotopes of helium behave differently at low temperatures
2
Phase Separation
Below 0.87 K, mixture separates into He-3 rich and He-4 rich phases
3
Dilution Process
He-3 crossing phase boundary absorbs heat, creating cooling effect
4
Continuous Cycle
Circulation system maintains continuous cooling to millikelvin range
Temperature Scale
Room Temperature (300 K)20,000x warmer
Liquid Nitrogen (77 K)5,000x warmer
Liquid Helium (4 K)270x warmer
1K Pot (1 K)67x warmer
Mixing Chamber (0.015 K)Quantum Computing Range ✓