World’s coldest alloy could shrink quantum computer cooling systems

A Chinese research team has developed a novel rare-earth alloy, EuCo2Al9 (ECA), that achieves record-low temperatures near absolute zero using adiabatic demagnetisation refrigeration (ADR). Unlike traditional quantum computer cooling systems that rely on bulky, expensive helium-3 dilution refrigerators, this alloy enables a compact, efficient, and portable cooling module without moving parts. The ECA alloy reached a minimum temperature of 106 millikelvin, setting a new benchmark for metallic materials, and demonstrated thermal conductivity significantly higher than conventional magnetic refrigeration materials, addressing a key limitation in cooling power extraction. This breakthrough could revolutionize quantum computing by drastically reducing the size and cost of cooling systems necessary to maintain quantum processors at ultra-low temperatures. The Chinese Academy of Sciences highlighted that this “China solution” could end decades of dependence on helium-3, which is scarce and geopolitically sensitive. The team’s work, published in Nature, aligns with DARPA’s recent call for helium-3-free modular cooling technologies